American students still have not recovered from COVID-19-era learning loss according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “the nation’s report card,” released late last month. The findings are already generating more support for the school choice movement that has gained significant traction in recent years.
The NAEP categorizes student achievement into four levels based on mastery of material and skill level. Students performing at the “Advanced” level show superior understanding and can tackle more complex material. Students at the “Proficient” level have solid academic understanding and competency of subjects like reading and math. “Basic” indicates partial mastery of subjects, while “Below Basic” performers haven’t yet demonstrated even partial mastery of subjects.
The 2024 NAEP found that an astonishing 69 percent of fourth-graders and 70 percent of eighth-graders scored at or below Basic in reading — totaling the largest percentage of struggling students in the study’s history. Fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores dropped two points from 2022 and five points from 2019.
The findings are similarly dismal when it comes to math achievement. Nearly 25 percent of students “do not reach the NAEP Basic level, meaning they likely cannot identify odd numbers or solve a problem using unit conversions.” Moreover, “the average math score in eighth grade is flat in 2024 compared to 2022, which is of particular concern given 2022’s historic eight-point drop in eighth grade math.”
Another cause for alarm is the widening achievement gap between higher and lower-performing students. In eighth-grade math, for example, higher-performing students showed improvement compared to 2022, while lower-performing students saw regression — resulting in minimal impact on overall average scores.
In other words, the country may be witnessing an alarming trend of growing disparities between high-performers and low-performers. While some kids are getting further and further ahead, others are falling further and further behind.
With characteristic swiftness, President Donald Trump has already leaped into action in response to the NAEP findings, signing an executive order last week expanding school choice programs and directing federal agencies to prioritize funding for alternative education options. Citing the NAEP report specifically, Trump noted, “When our public education system fails such a large segment of society, it hinders our national competitiveness and devastates families and communities.”
To remedy the alarming decline in educational achievement, Trump’s order directs the Department of Education to guide states on using federal funds for K-12 scholarship programs and to prioritize school choice programs in discretionary grants.
Additionally, building on Trump’s first-term record of support for school choice, the order mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services support educational alternatives, including private and faith-based options, through block grants.
The order also requires the Department of Defense to devise a plan to empower military families to use taxpayer education dollars for schools of their choice and directs the Secretary of the Interior to allow families at Bureau of Indian Education schools to do the same.
A fact sheet released in conjunction with the order highlights the cost-effectiveness and academic benefits of school choice programs, noting strong public support across various demographics. As the administration also noted, the order builds on previous initiatives, including investments in charter schools and the re-authorization of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program. It also references tax benefits for education savings plans introduced under Trump’s first-term tax cuts.
The Trump administration frames the order as a critical step toward fulfilling Trump’s promise to extend school choice nationwide, stating that it will provide parents with more opportunities to enhance their children’s education through individual choice.
As Trump’s order makes clear, this latest iteration of the NAEP is likely to provide further credence to school choice advocates arguing that parents should have more freedom to choose the educational model that best fits their child.
The movement for educational reform has found particular resonance in states like Virginia, where Governor Glenn Youngkin’s education-focused 2021 campaign became a blueprint for conservative education policy.
Since taking office, Youngkin has allocated over $600 million to programs addressing learning loss and truancy while implementing policies that give parents more control over their children’s education.
Proponents of education reform contend that competition and choice are precisely what the education system needs to reverse the performance declines measured in the NAEP.
According to Education Week, elected officials in at least a dozen states are considering new programs that would allow parents to use public funds for private education. As of early 2025, 28 states offer Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), vouchers, or other school choice programs.
The next round of NAEP assessments, scheduled for 2026 with results released in 2027, will serve as a crucial test of whether current reform efforts are making a difference in student achievement – and perhaps provide another boost to the movement for education freedom.
Sarah Katherine Sisk is a senior at Hillsdale College pursuing a degree in Economics and Journalism. You can follow her on X @SKSisk76.
