The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) at Arizona State University released its fifth State of the American Student report in October 2026. Six years after schools shut their doors, the study paints a stark picture: only 10.5% of U.S. students attend a district that has reclaimed 2019-level performance in both math and reading.
Louisiana stands alone as the sole state where average scores in the two core subjects have risen above the 2019 baseline. Elsewhere, the nation grapples with uneven recovery, a surge in chronic absenteeism, and an erosion of public confidence in K-12 education.
Student achievement trends in 2026
Nationally, the gap between high-achieving and struggling learners continues to widen. Since 2022, the top decile of eighth-graders added 3 NAEP points in mathematics, while the bottom decile fell by 5 points. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) also recorded that 34% of eighth-graders scored below the Basic level in reading in 2024 – the highest share since the metric began 32 years ago.
These disparities sit on a longer-term decline that began in 2013. Even without the pandemic, trends projected that nearly half of the post-COVID drop in eighth-grade math would have occurred. Attendance tells a similar story: chronic absence rose from 15% before COVID to 23% in the 2024-25 school year, and no state has yet returned to pre-pandemic attendance rates.
Geographic variation has deepened as well. After two decades of narrowing, state-level NAEP scores now diverge more sharply than in 2019. A demographically adjusted math score for an average Mississippi eighth-grader sits roughly two and a half years ahead of a West Virginia peer.
On a positive note, younger cohorts show modest signs of recovery. Fourth-grade math score variation across states returned to 2019 levels in 2024, and researchers at NWEA report early gains in reading for grades K-8. Nevertheless, public sentiment has slipped dramatically, with Gallup indicating that satisfaction with public education fell from 51% in 2019 to just 32% in 2026.
State policy landscape and financial levers for families
State responses remain fragmented. CRPE identified only 13 states that have established a clear, statewide learning goal, while 11 states have published no target at all. This policy vacuum emerges as the federal Education Department hands more K-12 programs to state agencies.
Legislative action on curriculum also skews toward literacy. Forty-three states have enacted Science of Reading laws, yet only 18 have passed comparable statutes for mathematics. Moreover, 37 states are not fully implementing any of the eleven math-policy recommendations outlined by ExcelinEd, leaving a weak foundation for students pursuing college-track or technical pathways.
Families can, however, turn to emerging financial tools. Since July 2025, 529 plans have been allowed to cover K-12 tutoring, testing fees, and curriculum purchases, with the annual limit raised to $20,000 in 2026. Additionally, thirty states have adopted the new Education Freedom Tax Credit, expanding school-choice options.
For parents seeking immediate data, requesting state test results and benchmark assessments such as the NWEA MAP can reveal hidden gaps not evident in report-card grades. When external support is deemed necessary, the expanded 529 allowance provides a tax-advantaged avenue for private tutoring and curriculum costs. A Coverdell Education Savings Account remains an alternative, though its $2,000 annual contribution ceiling limits its impact.
Students leaning toward vocational training can benefit from the newly created Workforce Pell Grant, which now funds short-term job-training programs, delivering quicker entry into the workforce.
Economic implications of the learning gap
The report warns that learning loss will translate into earnings deficits. Projections suggest a 2% reduction in lifetime earnings for students in the least-affected states, climbing to as high as 9% in the hardest-hit regions. This financial strain arrives as more teenagers consider entering the labor market instead of pursuing higher education.
Compounding the challenge, nearly half of the cohort whose schooling was disrupted have already moved on to college or the workforce, often without the opportunity to remediate lost instruction.
Higher-education institutions have begun to re-emphasize standardized testing, reinstating SAT or ACT requirements at an expanding list of colleges. This shift reflects concerns that inflated high-school GPAs no longer provide a reliable signal of academic readiness.
Looking ahead
CRPE plans a spring 2027 update that will evaluate state policies against evidence-based improvement strategies. The federal Education Department’s school-choice credit also launches in 2027, further shifting responsibility to states. Observers will watch whether any state besides Louisiana can demonstrate full recovery on the next NAEP cycle.
Robert Farrington, founder of The College Investor, emphasizes that navigating these challenges will require both policy action and informed family decisions. His experience with student-loan repayment and investment strategies informs his outlook on the intersection of finance and education.
