U.S. Students Lagging Behind OECD Peers In Math And Science

For those concerned about America’s future, the latest findings from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) are nothing short of alarming, as noted by Michael R. Bloomberg, the majority owner of Bloomberg News.

Out of 37 participating members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US ranked 26th in math — a slight improvement over 2018, but still unacceptably low.

US math scores fell by 13 points between 2018 and 2022, with students continuing to underperform their peers in most other developed countries. This failure underscores the need to improve US schools and hold them accountable for results.

Unfortunately, it’s not clear if our country’s elected leaders are paying attention.

The PISA test measured the aptitude of students from 81 countries in math, reading, and science. While US students mostly held steady in reading and science, overall, they lag behind many competitors.

Out of 37 participating members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the US ranked 26th in math — a slight improvement over 2018, but still unacceptably low.

Yet, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona declared that the $190 billion in federal relief spent on public schools since 2020 has “kept the US in the game.” If so, too many students are still losing. Student math performance was at its worst in two decades.

The gap between the US and the highest-performing countries grew.

More than a third of American students failed to demonstrate basic proficiency in math. Just 7% of 15-year-olds scored in the highest two levels, compared to 41% in Singapore and 32% in Taiwan.

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