Trending Now - Students Face Ongoing Reading Decline, yet Some Areas Thrive

WHO:

CBS News - Nancy Barajas, a teacher in Modesto, California, and Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor involved in the Education Scorecard.

CBS News - Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools.

CBS News - Mark Sullivan, Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools.

WHAT:

CBS News - U.S. students are experiencing a "reading recession," with national reading scores nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic levels.

CBS News - Only five states and the District of Columbia showed meaningful growth in reading test scores from 2022 to 2025.

CBS News - Modesto's test scores grew enough to represent an extra 18 weeks of learning in math and 13 weeks in reading.

CBS News - The Detroit school district received over $94 million from a lawsuit settlement to improve educational conditions.

CBS News - Louisiana and Alabama were the only states where math scores were higher in 2025 than pre-pandemic levels.

WHERE:

CBS News - Modesto, California; Detroit, Michigan; Louisiana; Alabama.

WHEN:

CBS News - The analysis covered state test scores from 2022 to 2025.

CBS News - The lawsuit in Detroit was settled in 2016.

WHY:

CBS News - The reading recession is attributed to a decline in reading scores since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CBS News - Factors contributing to the decline include the rise of social media and a reduction in strict consequences for schools failing to improve standardized test scores.

HOW:

CBS News - States improving reading scores implemented phonics-based instruction and required schools to screen for learning disabilities.

CBS News - Modesto created a department to assist students learning English and paid educators $5,000 to complete a "science of reading" program called LETRS.

CBS News - Birmingham City Schools hired a full-time math specialist to support struggling students.

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 13:43 UTC)

U.S. students are facing a significant "reading recession," with national reading scores nearly half a grade level behind where they were before the pandemic, and only five states along with the District of Columbia showing meaningful growth in reading test scores from 2022 to 2025. In Modesto, California, test scores improved enough to reflect an additional 18 weeks of learning in math and 13 weeks in reading, while the Detroit school district received over $94 million from a lawsuit settlement aimed at enhancing educational conditions. To combat these challenges, states that saw improvements in reading scores have implemented phonics-based instruction and initiatives like Modesto's creation of a department to assist English learners, along with financial incentives for educators to complete specialized training.