The 2025 PISA results were released in early September 2026, and the results show a decline in all three major subjects: reading, math, and science.
What is PISA?
PISA is short for the Programme for International Student Assessment: an international assessment of student performance delivered by the OECD: the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The test is given to 760,000 students in 91 participating countries worldwide every three years. It serves as a measure of 15-year-olds’ performance in key school subjects.
What Are American Students’ 2025 Results?
American students performed well in the math and science portions of the PISA test, with experts noting no statistical difference in these two subjects since the previous test in 2022. Reading scores, however, fell by over 14 points since the last exam.
American Student PISA Results: 2025 Scores Compared to International Averages:
- Reading Average score: 461. American Students scored: 490. Higher than the average score.
- Math Average score: 463. American Students scored: 463. On par with average.
- Science Average score: 486. American Students scored: 502. Higher than the average score.
American Student 2025 PISA Results Scores Compared to 2022 Scores
- Reading 2022 score: 504. Reading 2025 score: 490. A 14-point drop, which is a historical low.
- Math 2022 score: 465. Math 2025 score: 463. No statistically significant change
- Science 2022 score: 502. Science 2025 score: 502. No change noted
What Caused The Decline In Reading?
The decline in reading scores of more than 14 points is a historic low for American students. While the drop is worrisome, education experts have been warning of declines in reading performance and literacy for some time.
The 2024 Nation’s Report Card, the common name for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also reports an alarming decline in reading performance in the 2025 results compared with the 2022 test.s
The report correlated reading declines with the pandemic and the loss of academic momentum. However, researchers and educators alike note the correlation between reading skill development and technology use.
Technology & Reading Skills
Reading skills are the foundation of all learning. Strong reading skills are vital to academic performance in every school subject, not just in English class. However, increased access to technology and student media use are preventing students from developing the deep, analytical reading skills they need to become critical thinkers.
Digital Reading:
When students swap the printed page for digital pixels, it changes how their brains process information, significantly affecting their ability to absorb and retain what they read. Research shows that students who read on paper consistently score higher on comprehension tests than those who read the same material on screens.
Read more: Screen Vs Paper Reading
Social Media Usage:
Research shows that teens aged 3 to 17 spend about 7 hours and 22 minutes per day on screen time. Nearly 6 in 10 teens do homework on a computer every day, which can lead to multitasking, reduced concentration abilities, and ADHD.
Read more: Screen Time Stats to Know
Smartphones in School:
Teachers report that phone use during class time is the biggest classroom distraction, negatively affecting attention spans and learning outcomes.
Read more: Cellphones and Academic Performance
AI Usage:
Perhaps the biggest culprit affecting reading scores is that when students use AI for instant answers, they cheat themselves out of developing real thinking and learning skills. They begin to crave shortcuts, rather than doing the work themselves. Simply put: AI reduces the cognitive struggle needed to build deep reading skills
Read more: AI in the Classroom: Are Students Building Skills or Creating Shortcuts?
Reading for Pleasure Decline:
Students are reading for pleasure less than ever, thanks to smartphones. This is a problem because pleasure reading is linked to increased cognitive development, including clearer thinking, better problem-solving, and improved decision-making. It also builds vocabulary and strengthens writing skills.
Read More: Reading For Pleasure is Declining. Here’s How To Help
The research is compelling and clear:
The more time that students spend on their screens, the less they develop deep reading skills.
Why Do PISA Results Matter?
A population’s academic performance is considered an indicator of its potential and future academic strength. PISA results serve as an indicator of how well students apply skills in real life. The results are considered a signal of the population’s future readiness.
Results from this scale, when compared with other countries’ performance, can influence policymakers and drive high-level educational reform.
What These Results Mean for Parents & How to Help
A decline of more than 14 points in reading scores since the last exam clearly indicates that students are losing the most ground in developing the deep reading skills they need to reflect, analyze, and evaluate. These are the pivotal reading skills that support high literacy levels.
A key indicator of student success mentioned in the PISA 2025 report is the correlation between parental involvement and improved student academic performance. Simply put, the more parents are involved in their children’s education, the better their academic outcomes.
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