Trending Now - Nationwide Decline in Reading and Math Scores Hits Schools
WHO:
CNN - Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor who helped create the Education Scorecard.
CNN - Nikolai Vitti, Detroit Superintendent.
CNN - Jerri Lippert, West Allegheny School District Superintendent.
90.5 WESA - Laura Miller, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Butler Area School District.
90.5 WESA - Dominic Salpeck, Director of Instruction and Academic Achievement at Montour School District.
90.5 WESA - Brian White, Butler Area Superintendent.
WHAT:
CNN - Almost every state in the analysis saw improvements in math test scores from 2022 to 2025.
CNN - Louisiana and Alabama were the only states where math scores were higher in 2025 than pre-pandemic.
CNN - Louisiana is the only state that beat its pre-pandemic average in reading, with 87% of traditional public school students attending a district where scores are higher than in 2019.
90.5 WESA - West Allegheny is one of 108 school districts nationwide identified for showing significant growth in both reading and math since 2022.
90.5 WESA - Pennsylvania ranks 21st in math achievement and 27th in reading among the 38 states analyzed.
90.5 WESA - The percentage of students considered chronically absent in Pennsylvania has fallen from over 25% in 2022 to around 21% in 2024.
CNN - Nationally, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores and only slightly better in math.
CNN - Only five states plus the District of Columbia had meaningful growth in reading test scores from 2022 to 2025.
CNN - In Modesto, reading instruction was revamped during the pandemic, resulting in an extra 18 weeks of learning in math and 13 weeks in reading.
90.5 WESA - West Allegheny students are performing nearly half a grade level higher in reading than in 2019 and nearly three-quarters of a grade level higher in math.
90.5 WESA - Pennsylvania ranks 21st in math achievement and 27th in reading among the 38 states analyzed.
WHERE:
CNN - Modesto, California.
CNN - Detroit, Michigan.
90.5 WESA - West Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania.
90.5 WESA - Butler Area School District, Pennsylvania.
90.5 WESA - Montour School District, Pennsylvania.
WHEN:
90.5 WESA - Pennsylvania schools are required to adopt an evidence-based reading curriculum by the 2027-2028 school year.
CNN - The Education Scorecard analyzed state test scores from 2022 to 2025.
90.5 WESA - Pennsylvania schools are required to adopt an evidence-based reading curriculum by the 2027-2028 school year.
WHY:
CNN - Researchers warn that the U.S. is experiencing a reading recession, a decline that predates the pandemic.
CNN - The pandemic was described as a "mudslide" following seven years of steady erosion in achievement.
90.5 WESA - The success of West Allegheny is attributed to high-quality teachers, instructional materials, and careful assessment of student data.
HOW:
CNN - States that improved reading scores implemented a phonics-based approach known as the "science of reading."
CNN - Schools in Pennsylvania are required to screen students in kindergarten through third grade at least three times a year to assess reading proficiency.
90.5 WESA - Butler Area School District increased early elementary reading instruction to two hours a day for struggling students.
(UPDATED May 13, 2026 19:34 UTC)
Recent analysis shows that almost every state has seen improvements in math test scores from 2022 to 2025, with Louisiana and Alabama being the only states to surpass their pre-pandemic scores. Notably, Louisiana is the sole state to exceed its pre-pandemic average in reading, as 87% of traditional public school students are now attending districts with higher scores than in 2019. Looking ahead, Pennsylvania schools will be required to adopt an evidence-based reading curriculum by the 2027-2028 school year.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 17:42 UTC)
A recent analysis of state test scores reveals that students across the nation are still nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores, with only five states and the District of Columbia showing meaningful growth in reading from 2022 to 2025. In Pennsylvania, schools are required to adopt an evidence-based reading curriculum by the 2027-2028 school year, and districts like West Allegheny have seen significant improvements, performing nearly half a grade level higher in reading than in 2019. The success in places like Modesto, California, is attributed to a revamped reading instruction approach during the pandemic, which resulted in substantial gains in both math and reading learning time.