U.S. reading scores fell 14 points to their lowest level in a quarter century, according to the Organization for Economic Co–operation and Development (OECD)’s 2025 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) . The good news is we know how to fix it.
Student reading performance has declined across much of the world, but the United States has a clear path forward to reverse that trend: sustained implementation of instruction grounded in 50 years of research about what effective reading instruction should include, commonly referred to as the science of reading. This approach to instruction reflects an explicit focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
What is PISA?
PISA is an international assessment administered every three years to 15-year-olds in 91 countries. It measures how well students can apply reading, math, and science knowledge and skills to real-world problems. Unlike state assessments, PISA isn’t designed to deliver individual student scores. Instead, it provides a way to compare education systems around the world and identify trends in how well students are learning.
What do the results mean?
The 2025 PISA results that were released on Tuesday reflect what the National Assessment of Educational Progress has already told us: U.S. reading achievement has declined significantly, particularly among lower-performing students. U.S. students also continued to fall behind several high-performing Asian and European countries.
Reading is the foundation for learning in every subject. Strong readers are more likely to finish high school prepared for college or a career. Children who learn to read with confidence are better equipped to grow into adults who can contribute to their communities and to the country.
The American 15-year-olds who took this assessment were just learning to read a decade ago. Since then, the national focus has shifted away from weak instructional approaches that had become common in many schools and toward instruction grounded in the science of reading. The PISA results underscore why teacher preparation, classroom instruction, and curriculum aligned with that research are so important.
How are leaders addressing the reading crisis?
Today, 44 states have passed laws aligning their reading policies with the science of reading. These reforms take time to produce results, and states are in varying phases of implementation. As states move these policies from state capitols into classrooms, their implementation efforts are centered on four key areas:
- Ensuring new teachers are prepared to teach reading effectively from day one.
- Providing current teachers with high-quality professional development.
- Ensuring schools have access to high-quality instructional materials.
- Establishing effective processes for screening students and providing interventions for struggling readers.
The George W. Bush Institute outlines these priorities in detail in its report, A Republic of Readers, and regularly brings state leaders together with peers and experts to strengthen reading policy and implementation.
States should continue investing in reading instruction grounded in the science of reading and in the sustained implementation needed to turn strong policies into better outcomes for students. There is no overnight fix, but staying the course is essential for our students, our economy, and the strength of our democracy. The good news is that we know far more today about how children learn to read. Now it is up to adults to put that knowledge into practice for every child.
The latest PISA results are another reminder of the urgency of that work. The goal is clear: When the next results are released, we should see evidence that more American students are becoming strong, capable readers.
Where can I learn more?
You can dig deeper into PISA data in these stories from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Chalkbeat.
