The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) recently released its 2024 report, and the data is shocking to those of us who can read it. NAEP, which is part of the Department of Education, tracks the progress of American high school students, and according to the data, the kids aren’t all right.  

According to the NAEP’s 2024 report, only 35 percent of high school seniors are reading at “proficient levels,” which The Guardian notes is 10 points lower than in 1992, when the tests were first introduced.

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— James Marriott (@j_amesmarriott) September 20, 2025

It’s not just reading, though, as students are also struggling with math, as the report claims 45 percent of high school seniors are underperforming in arithmetic as well.

The cause of American students’ inability to read has been debated at great length, with many people pointing to COVID as the reason, and others blaming the Department of Education itself. The truth is, reading comprehension has been in decline for decades, and fewer Americans today report reading for pleasure (or to their kids) than ever before.

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— James Marriott (@j_amesmarriott) September 19, 2025

I don’t mean to sound dramatic (I do), but if this trend continues (which it will), we’re cooked as a society.