A Half Century of U.S. Student Progress Nationwide

Discussions surrounding U.S. student progress over the past 50 years often generate conflicting perspectives. This article aims to reconcile these views by presenting a comprehensive analysis of student performance based on data from every nationally representative testing program conducted between 1971 and 2017.

Sixth-grade math teacher Lisa Martin talks to her students on the first day of school at Kernodle Middle School in Greensboro, N.C., on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. The federal government has provided $190 billion in pandemic aid to schools since March 2020. This is more than quadruple what the U.S. Education Department spends on K-12 schools in a typical year. (Woody Marshall/News & Record via AP)

Overall Improvement in Student Achievement:

Contrary to popular belief, average student progress has consistently risen over the past five decades. Analyzing 7 million tests taken by students born between 1954 and 2007, math scores increased by 95 percent of a standard deviation, equivalent to almost four years’ worth of learning. Reading scores showed a 20 percent improvement, equivalent to nearly one year’s worth of learning.

Disparities Across Subjects:

Notably, the rise in math performance outpaced that in reading, indicating a discrepancy in subject-specific advancements. This phenomenon aligns with research on human intelligence, emphasizing the role of fluid reasoning, particularly crucial in math, in driving accelerated growth.

Inconsistencies in PISA Results:

An exception emerged with the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, showcasing a decline in U.S. student progress over time. This anomaly may be attributed to PISA’s unique testing approach, combining math and reading with an emphasis on real-world applications.

Closing Achievement Gaps:

Encouragingly, student progress achievement extends to closing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic gaps. Black, Hispanic, and Asian students, alongside those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, exhibit faster improvement rates compared to their white and more advantaged counterparts.

Socioeconomic Dynamics:

Socioeconomic disparities reveal nuanced trends, with gaps narrowing in elementary school but, in some cases, widening in high school. The results challenge previous claims of an increasing income-achievement gap, emphasizing the complexity of interpreting trends based on the grade level at which students are assessed.

Impact of Educational Policies:

The study spans the period before and after the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), revealing that reading scores accelerated among students born after 1990, while student progress in math is slowed. The reasons behind this divergence remain speculative and call for further investigation.

Conclusion:

In navigating the complexities of U.S. student achievement trends, this analysis brings clarity to the often-disputed narratives. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the historical successes in education provide optimism that current challenges can be overcome. The study underscores the multifaceted factors influencing student achievement, including family dynamics, educational policies, and broader societal changes, contributing valuable insights for future educational strategies.