The U.S. faces a learning recession. Here’s how we can halt it.

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There’s an alarming pattern emerging in American academics. We’ve been experiencing a learning recession for over a decade.

From 2020-22, we saw the largest drop in reading scores since 1990. There’s been a downward spiral in exam scores since 2013. Change must be made in classrooms and legislation to fix the educational crisis.

A partial culprit is technology. There’s a clear connection between a rise in screen time and a decline in students’ scores.

Studies show kids ages 8-12 average a screen time of five and a half hours a day, with a majority of this time spent playing video games and watching TV. Recently, parents have struggled with getting their children to do their homework due to the presence of screens. Parents report using technology as a way to alleviate tantrums, which often exacerbates the problem over time.

The misuse of technology is also an issue in higher education. When I glance around my lecture halls, most computer screens show students online shopping, playing video games or completing homework for another class. It’s deeply upsetting that students aren’t gaining the knowledge they should be from their classes because of how difficult it is for students to stay on task.

Taking handwritten notes has been shown to help students retain information. Personally, I try to write handwritten notes as much as possible because I know how hard it is to stay on task while online.

On top of unfettered internet access, there’s a problem with engagement in the classroom itself. Teachers discuss struggles with reengaging students after the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly half of teachers saying they now struggle more with getting students to pay attention. The pandemic caused a disconnect between students and teachers that hasn’t yet been fully restored.

Fixing this disconnect takes work from the teacher’s end. As off-task behavior has grown more common, teachers can implement procedures in class that encourage students to stay engaged. Asking students their thoughts on a topic before beginning a lecture, leading the class with open-ended questions and asking students to take more active, collaborative roles in class are all ways to combat disconnect and off-task behavior.

To further understand why scores are falling, we must also look at educational policies. The implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, due to criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act, eased the federal pressure around standardized testing that the NCLB era was characterized by. NCLB required each district to reach 100% proficiency by 2014, and schools that missed their targets faced increasing sanctions. This disproportionately hurt low-income schools with fewer resources to improve proficiency, an issue that needed to be remedied.

NCLB waivers weakened federal accountability before the ESSA formally replaced it in 2015, instead leaving proficiency up to the states. Scores began lowering around 2013, around when federal accountability was loosened. I believe the NCLB did well by providing a benchmark for all districts to follow, which should be reinstated.

But policymakers must also recognize the diversity of school districts and the individual needs of each one. Sanctions may not be the answer to enforcing a benchmark, but rather providing aid and solutions to school districts that are struggling with their students’ education.

The next generation of policy must hold all school districts to high standards on a national level, while giving low-income districts the resources to meet them.

Education is crucial for the functioning of a healthy society. It’s time to start fixing the issues that are stunting educational growth in the United States.

Aurora Moore is a sophomore majoring in sociology and law, society and policy. She can be reached at amoore56@syr.edu.

Published on November 10, 2026 at 10:51 pm