New results from the Programme for International Student Assessment show average mathematics, reading and science scores at their lowest level in the test’s history among highly developed economies. More than 760,000 15-year-olds in dozens of countries took the assessment last year. The United States recorded further declines in reading and mathematics.
China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea posted the highest results, with Estonia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand also performing strongly. In the participating Chinese regions, nearly all students reached at least the baseline level in mathematics and reading. The corresponding U.S. shares were 65 percent in mathematics and 74 percent in reading.
An accompanying student survey found that reported family support for education fell in almost every participating country compared with 2022, with especially large declines among boys. The measure covered behaviors such as discussing schoolwork and showing interest in learning. It records students’ responses and does not by itself prove that reduced family engagement caused lower scores.
The data also showed a nonlinear relationship with classroom technology. Students in systems reporting roughly two to three hours of school-device use per day tended to score higher, while performance declined when reported use exceeded that range. Fewer than 10 percent of tested students in Japan, Korea and participating Chinese regions reported digital distraction in class.
Cross-country comparisons require caution because systems differ in curriculum, participation, demographics and how devices are used. Only four mainland Chinese provinces participated, along with Hong Kong and Macao, so their results are not a national census. The release identifies patterns for follow-up research rather than a controlled experiment that isolates family behavior or screen time.
The checked record for New Global Test Shows U.S. Reading and Math Scores Still Falling establishes the following dated facts: More than 760,000 students took the latest PISA assessment. Average scores across developed economies reached record lows in all three tested subjects. U.S. reading and mathematics scores continued to decline. Sixty-five percent of U.S. students reached the baseline in mathematics and 74 percent in reading. Reported family engagement fell in almost every participating country compared with 2022. The relevant background is also specific: PISA tests 15-year-olds across participating education systems. The technology finding was strongest around moderate, not zero, device use. Survey associations do not demonstrate causation. Participation, curriculum and demographic differences limit direct causal or national comparisons. The cited reporting does not resolve questions beyond those stated limits.