In recent years, studies have shown that student test scores in America have been on the decline. The big question is, what’s to blame, and what will our future generations possibly look like?
As noted in USAToday.com, “High schoolers in the United States last year earned their lowest marks on reading and math in two decades, according to ‘The Nation’s Report Card’ released on Sept. 9.”
Some attribute these declining scores to significant disruptions from the global pandemic, increased screen time, and a lack of communication and comprehension skills among Generation Z students. For many, this decline is alarming because it implies that most employees in the future won’t be fully educated and able to perform well in their jobs, especially in the healthcare field. Further fears are that uneducated workers can be detrimental to the economy, more likely to spread misinformation, and may increase social inequality.
To make matters worse, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the largest assessment of K-12 student achievement in America, found that nearly a third of high school seniors did not have the basic reading skills needed to give details for the understanding of a text. Meanwhile, average math scores have slipped to their lowest levels since 2005. To put this into perspective, the top tenth percentile of students in the U.S. has lost about two grade equivalents since 2015. If these trends continue, they could have major impacts on future income inequality.
At a glance, these score declines may look like it’s not a big issue, but in hindsight, reading and math have long-term consequences for students’ earnings and educational attainment. In theory, these problems can be fixed by helping students who don’t fully comprehend the curriculum being taught. But while there needs to be a change made somewhere in education, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact issue to tackle when there isn’t a specific reason for the declining test scores.
So, what can we, collectively, do about this issue? Many things that could benefit children, but I think we should re-evaluate educational policies as a start, assessing them to ensure they’re setting realistic targets and expectations for students. For example, what worked years ago might just not work anymore.
Emphasizing core skills is important too. It could not only raise test scores, but also help students have a better understanding of what they’re actually learning. This is crucial. Students and educators should work together to create a solution that’s reasonable and effective. If we change nothing, nothing’s going to change. Sounding the alarm, creating effective teaching methods, and getting rid of distractions would be extremely helpful to our futures.
I believe that Gen Z is very smart and just as capable of learning as the previous generations. No, we aren’t dumb or uneducated, despite what the studies say. If we had been given the correct resources, the decline in test scores wouldn’t have happened, and maybe we would be a little more prepared for what our lives to come.
Adults may play into the stereotype that our generation isn’t fit for the real world, but actually, I say it’s not the students’ fault. Give us the correct resources, limit our distractions, and I think good days for Gen Z could be just around the corner.
