See How Phoenixville's Test Scores Compare Amid National Reading Decline

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Phoenixville Area School District students have significantly higher test scores than the national average, but they're also learning significantly less, according to a new analysis of test scores that looks at how student performance was changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers at Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth, examined third- through eighth-grade test scores from more than 5,000 school districts in 38 states for the Education Scorecard project.

The seeming contradiction does have an explanation, according to the researchers. While test scores do measure some academic skills, they do not measure the actual learning which takes place within a school.

Phoenixville test scores were 1.09 "grade levels" above the American average, but students learned 26.7 percent less than average in each grade, the data shows.

Pennsylvania as a whole is also in a clear decline. Test scores across the state are 0.27 grade levels below average, the data shows. That means students learn 4.6 percent less in each grade in Pennsylvania than the U.S. average.

National declines

Overall, they found U.S. students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading levels, reflecting a long-running “reading recession” worsened by the pandemic.

Students across the country are tested annually on math and reading to measure how well they are learning foundational skills that schools, states and policymakers consider essential for academic success and future employment.

Researchers found that only five states and the District of Columbia posted significant gains in reading between 2022 and 2025.

“The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement,” Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor involved in the project,” told The Associated Press

Reading scores have been declining nationally since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Researchers point to several possible causes, including increased smartphone and social media use and reduced recreational reading.

Still, the report identified signs of improvement in some states and districts, particularly those adopting phonics-based instruction known as the “science of reading.”

Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana all implemented statewide reading reforms emphasizing phonics and additional support for struggling students.

In Modesto, California, schools revamped reading instruction during the pandemic and expanded teacher training programs. The district paid educators to complete specialized literacy training and created a department focused on students learning English. Researchers said Modesto students gained the equivalent of 13 extra weeks of learning in reading and 18 weeks in math compared with similar districts.

Math scores showed broader improvement nationwide. Nearly every state analyzed recorded gains in math from 2022 to 2025, and absenteeism declined in most states.

Detroit also emerged as a bright spot, with district leaders crediting both literacy reforms and efforts to improve attendance. A 2016 lawsuit over school conditions led to a $94 million settlement that funded additional reading support staff and attendance outreach programs.

“It allows us to be better educators to see kids consistently in the seat instead of once or twice a week,” Detroit teacher Samantha Ciaffone told The AP.

Southern states stood out in the analysis for sustained academic gains. Louisiana was the only state to surpass its pre-pandemic reading average, while Louisiana and Alabama were the only states where math scores exceeded 2019 levels. Alabama lawmakers credited statewide phonics instruction and new math reforms for the improvements.

Researchers said the gains demonstrate that recovery is possible despite continuing national challenges.

“We made enormous progress as a country in terms of educational success from over a 30-year period,” Stanford professor Sean Reardon told The AP. “As a country, we can improve education and educational opportunity.”

» See how other districts performed.

The Associated Press contributed reporting