Florida ranked last among 35 states analyzed for academic growth in reading, according to a new report from researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University and Dartmouth College that warns the United States is in the midst of a nationwide “learning recession.”
The report, titled Education Scorecard 2026 and published May 13, examined academic performance among students in grades three through eight using state assessment data.
Researchers found that reading and math scores declined in 83% of school districts nationwide over the past decade, according to reporting by NBC Miami.
Florida recorded the steepest reading decline among all states included in the study. Researchers said the average student in the state is now more than 0.7 grade equivalents behind 2019 reading levels.
The report also found that Florida’s eighth-grade reading ranking fell sharply from 25th place in 2017 to 43rd place in 2024, based on data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Nationally, eighth-grade reading performance in 2025 was found to be comparable to levels last seen in 1990.
In mathematics, Florida ranked 24th out of 38 states analyzed, placing it near the middle of the pack and showing less severe declines than in reading achievement.
Researchers said the “learning recession” began around 2013, years before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted classrooms across the country. However, they noted that the pandemic accelerated the downward trend.
The report cited several contributing factors, including increased smartphone and social media use among children, lingering pandemic-related impacts, reduced academic accountability following the expiration of the No Child Left Behind Act, and growing dependence on technology in classrooms.
The accountability framework established under No Child Left Behind was replaced in 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Researchers warned that the continued decline in literacy and math achievement could have long-term consequences for educational attainment and workforce readiness across the country.
