OECD Reports Record-Low Average Reading and Math Scores

Reading and mathematics scores among 15-year-old students across 91 countries and economies fell to the lowest average levels in 26 years, according to a new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) evaluation.

The Details: OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that average reading scores across OECD countries dropped by 28 points between 2015 and 2025, while math scores fell by 22 points. In the US, 65% of students met the baseline proficiency in math, while 74% did in reading and 78% did in science. US reading performance fell 14 points between 2022 and 2025, and was among the country's lowest recorded results since PISA began in 2000. The US fell behind several countries, including Singapore, South Korea, Japan, China and Canada, but scored above the overall OECD average in reading and science.

For Context: PISA is administered every three years to measure reading, science and mathematics skills in 15-year-old students. The 2025 assessment also evaluated students' critical thinking skills and their ability to apply what they've learned to real-world scenarios. More than 760,000 students participated, including 4,600 from the US.

On the Bright Side: Some outlets on the right pointed to bright-lines in the report, such as science scores rising 3 points from 2022 and the US investing more money into education. An article from The New York Post (Right bias) focused on the overall global decline, instead of just the US, writing, "It's a brain rot pandemic!" It mentioned the US's results toward the bottom of its article. A Fox News (Right) segment highlighted Mississippi's reading scores, which increased amid the overall decline. The National Desk (Right) contextualized the findings within an increase in education funding after COVID.

The US and China: Many outlets in the center and on the left emphasized the decrease among US students in comparison to Asian countries. CNN (Lean Left) contextualized the findings with "an intensifying rivalry between the US and China." It mentioned that China's results didn't come "without critics" as the data came from students in the country's more wealthy eastern coastal areas. The New York Times (Lean Left) also said China's results have "prompt[ed] skepticism about cherry-picked results."

Rise of AI: Outlets across the political spectrum noted the impacts of social media usage and the COVID-19 pandemic, but emphasized OECD's conclusion that AI strongly contributed to the decline. The Post wrote that the data "pointed to an obvious culprit behind the frightening phenomenon – students who regularly use AI and social media performed far worse." CNN wrote "higher digital distraction in the classroom" was one challenge identified in the study. The Times quoted someone from OECD that said AI is used in top Asian countries to "make students think harder, work harder" not make it easier for them. 

US Education System: The Times and The Hill (Center) used the report to talk more broadly about the US education system. The Times wrote that the findings are "the latest warning for an American education system that has seen test scores fall over the last decade." The Times argued that Asian countries "do a much better job of lifting up their most disadvantaged students." The Hill quoted the US Education Secretary who said the scores "confirm a decade of stagnation and a devastating gap: we successfully propel our highest achievers, but the lowest-performing students are falling further behind." Both outlets mentioned that the Trump administration had cut Education Department staff.

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