Recent assessments indicate that reading proficiency among U.S. students is declining, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), fewer than one-third of students nationwide are performing at the NAEP Proficient level in reading at both fourth and eighth grades. Notably, approximately 40% of fourth graders are reading below the NAEP Basic level—the highest percentage since 2002—while about one-third of eighth graders are also below the Basic benchmark, marking the largest percentage ever recorded.