00:00According to the National Assessment of Education Progress,
00:02high school seniors just recorded the lowest math and reading skills on the record,
00:07and eighth graders are seeing lowering scores in science skills.
00:10This is the first time since the pandemic that the NAEP has tested these students.
00:15And while COVID did play a huge role in learning loss,
00:18experts say the decline started long before the pandemic.
00:21This long-term slide in scores actually goes back to 2013,
00:25when reading and math scores started trending downward.
00:27Educators point to a few possible culprits, like kids spending more time on screens,
00:32shorter attention spans, and kids reading less long-form writing both in and out of schools.
00:37And the gap between the lowest and highest achieving students is growing,
00:41showing the deep inequalities in the school system.
00:43Education Secretary Linda McMahon says that these results prove why the Trump administration
00:48wants states to have more control over educational spending.
00:51But Democrats believe dismantling the department only makes things worse for students.
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