LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Math and reading scores for 12th graders have reached an over 20-year low according to the Nation's Report Card , but Kentucky and Indiana grade school students are showing signs of progress.

The new low reflects a decade-long negative trend in high school literacy and math skills.

Eighth-grade students also lost significant ground in science skills, according to the results from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).

The assessments were the first since the pandemic for eighth graders in science, and 12th graders in reading and math. They reflect a downward drift across grade levels and subject areas in previous findings from NAEP, which is considered one of the best gauges of academic progress in U.S. schools.

Kentucky fourth graders' average math

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