Nearly One-In-Three Public School Students Are Lagging Behind In School, Gov’t Data Shows

Nearly one-third of K-12 students were behind grade level at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, according to a recent survey by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The report found that 32% of public school students in the U.S. were behind their grade level as of June 2024, compared to 33% at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, 78% of schools surveyed reported that students were missing too much class time due to staying home for “minor symptoms,” while 69% turned to offering incentives to boost attendance.

The survey asked respondents whether their students were behind grade level in several subjects including English or language arts, math, sciences, computer science, foreign language and social studies.

Nearly 6.5 million students were considered chronically absent during the 2021-2022 school year, meaning they missed 10% of their classes. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, reading scores for K-12 students saw its largest decline while math scores dropped for the first time in 2022.

Public schools in the Northeast and Midwest both had 31% of students reportedly behind grade level, while public schools in the West reported 39%, all of which were increases since June 2022. Public schools in the South reported 29% of students being behind grade level, which was previously 34%.

Suburban location schools reported a 2% increase in students behind grade level from June 2022 to June 2024, while those in towns reported no change and remained at 31%, according to the report. Rural schools reported a 6% decrease during that time frame, with those in cities dropping 1%.

The School Pulse Panel surveyed 1,651 schools, according to the full report.

Elementary students who were babies or were toddlers during the pandemic have reportedly been experiencing behavioral issues at school, as well as showing signs of delays in developing motor skills.