The authors make a daring assertion, after examining 50 years of test results (1971 to 2017). They claim that student achievement has grown a lot. To quote the article: “Contrary to what you may have heard, average student achievement has been increasing for half a century. Across 7 million tests taken by U.S. students born between 1954 and 2007, math scores have grown by 95 percent of a standard deviation, or nearly four years’ worth of learning. Reading scores have grown by 20 percent of a standard deviation per decade during that time, nearly one year’s worth of learning.” This interpretation conflicts with the findings of almost all other social scientists. Expect a debate to follow this controversial finding.
By M. Danish Shakeel and Paul E. Peterson
Published by Education Next, Summer 2022
Headline: A Half Century of Student Progress Nationwide
