U.S. Kids Are Falling Behind Their Global Counterparts
I have previously blogged about the failures of K-12 education in the U.S. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as The Nation’s Report Card, found that barely a quarter or less of students are proficient in reading, and even less are proficient in math, geography, and U.S. history. U.S. 4th and 8th graders are performing worse not only compared to East Asian countries, but also to such places as Poland, the U.K., South Africa, Turkey, and Sweden, all of which have boosted their scores.
Math and English Skills Are Getting Worse
Joel Kotkin writes for amaericanmind.org that “America’s universities may be a disgrace, but the deeper problems with our education system lie with grades K-12. Higher education still ranks as a U.S. strength that other countries might admire—but our grade schools might even be inadequate for poor, developing countries. Overall, some 40% of all U.S. public school students fail to meet standards in either Math or English, up 8% from pre-pandemic levels.
A recent federal survey suggests that 28% of Americans now occupy the lowest level of literacy, up from 19% in 2017. Schools have abandoned phonics and other effective approaches for “whole language” and other trendy theories, producing a population where 60% of 4th graders are poor readers.
Bring Back the SAT or ACT
Recently, more than 600 University of California faculty members, led by mathematicians at UC Berkeley, have called on the system to reinstate standardized testing requirements for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) applicants, saying that six years of test-free admissions has not reliably assessed readiness and professors are often teaching middle school math to incoming students. UC faculty have observed there has been a 30x spike in students below high school math.
Without standardized testing in admissions, professors say they don’t know whether incoming students can handle college-level math. An open letter, addressed to top UC leaders, asks for SAT or ACT exams to be required beginning in fall 2027 and for STEM faculty to be given formal oversight of readiness standards in their majors.
“We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics, and other quantitatively demanding fields,” they warned.
UC gained national attention in May 2020 when regents unanimously voted to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements and eliminate them entirely by 2025. Board members cited concerns the tests were biased against students of color and those from lower-income families — including students who did not have access to prep courses. At the time, some hailed the vote as a bold and visionary move to expand access and equity.
The real reason to bring back the SAT or ACT standardized testing is that these scores are a better predictor of college performance than high school grades. There are so many K-12 programs throughout the country that there is no way to know whether each of them is doing a good job in teaching basic Math and English skills, or whether student grades are comparable. Standardized testing evens things out. The idea that certain minority groups may be at a disadvantage, and their scores don’t accurately measure acquired skills, is just an excuse to rationalize poor education in K-12.
Yale University Brings Back the SAT and ACT
It was reported on May 27, 2026, that following a recent recommendation from the Presidential Council on Yale College Admissions, the College returned to a pre-pandemic policy mandating SAT or ACT score submissions. The change will affect applicants to the class of 2031. First-year and transfer applicants will be required to submit one or the other in the Fall 2026.
Writing in yaledailynews.com, Leo Nyberg quotes Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis as saying: “SAT and ACT scores are strong predictors of a students’ future Yale academic performance, and, when considered thoughtfully as part of a whole person review, they can help identify well-prepared candidates, especially those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Other ivy-league schools have followed suit. Brown, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth and Harvard all require SAT or ACT scores for undergraduate applicants. Princeton will follow in 2028, while Columbia does not require standardized test score submission.
Harvard University’s Excessive ’A’ Grading
A lot has been written lately about Harvard’s change in its grading system. On May 20, 2026, the faculty voted 458-201 to limit the number of ‘A’ grades in undergraduate classes to 20%, in order to rein in grade inflation. The move is in response to years of data showing that A grades had become so common at elite universities that the grade was losing its ability to differentiate students. It also presents recruiters with the dilemma of how to distinguish one ‘A’ student from another.
Students’ Views
Opponents of the grade change argue that “marginalized students face structural disadvantages before arriving at Harvard, and that limiting top grades would compound rather than correct these inequities. An accompanying open letter described the policy as “blatantly racist” and warned it could heighten competition among students. Critics within the student body frame the reform “as part of a broader pattern of institutional harm toward students with marginalized identities.”
Some students argue the ‘A’ grade limit would disproportionately harm first-generation, low-income, and minority students. Student organizers say the change mirrors racial and socioeconomic hierarchies.
On April 8, 2026, I posted a blog that students at Harvard are protesting the proposed changes because it would increase stress, fuel competition and discourage academic exploration. I wondered, “When did these become bad things?”
U.S. Ranking Globally in the PISA Scores
PISA score assessments that evaluate the educational performance of 15-year-olds globally.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measures students’ abilities in reading, mathematics, and science, focusing on how well they can apply their knowledge to real-life situations. Conducted every three years by the OECD, PISA aims to provide insights into educational systems and identify effective teaching strategies across different countries.
The 2026 scores are bad news for U.S. educators. The U.S. kids rank 18th on an aggregate basis, combining math, science and reading skills. These scores raise a red flag concerning whether U.S. kids are adequately prepared to tackle STEM subjects.
In case you are interested, the scores for all countries in the survey can be found here. It’s not surprising to me that kids from six Asian countries do better than U.S. kids. I have taught many Asian kids during my 40+ years of college instruction. They have a work ethic that is second to none. Moreover, kids from six European countries have higher scores as well.
Career Choice of U.S. Kids versus Chinese Kids
These days, I always look to AI to highlight factors relevant to my blogs. I find them to be generally reliable. Here is some of what it says about why U.S. kids increasingly aspire to be influencers, while Chinese youth focus on technology. This trend reflects differing cultural values and societal expectations between the two countries.
Influencer Culture in the US
- A significant portion of American youth, particularly Gen Z, views becoming an influencer as a desirable career. Reports indicate that about 54% of young Americans aspire to this role, seeing it as a modern embodiment of the American dream.
- Influencers are often perceived as having creative freedom and financial success, appealing to the entrepreneurial spirit prevalent in the US.
Chinese Youth and Technology
- In contrast, Chinese youth are more inclined towards traditional career paths in technology and engineering. This is influenced by a strong emphasis on education and stable careers within Chinese culture.
- The Chinese government also promotes STEM fields, leading to a societal preference for careers that contribute to national advancement.
Common Sense Survey
According to a survey by Common Sense about media use by kids, children are acquiring screens at a younger age.
- By age 2, 4 in 10 children have their own tablet (40%).
- By age 4, more than half (58%) of children have their own tablet.
- By age 8, nearly 1 in 4 children have their own cellphone.
- Overall, 51% of children age 8 and younger have their own mobile device (such as a tablet or cellphone).
- Children from lower-income households are spending nearly twice as much time with screens compared to those from higher-income households (3:48 vs. 1:52 hours daily).
Conclusions
For years, I have been writing about the decline in the work ethic in U.S. society. One reason is that U.S. kids prefer to spend time on social media and visit online sites of choice, rather than spending the same time developing reading skills by reading books. One can learn to write by reading how others do so. U.S. kids also do not have the patience to spend time and learn mathematics and science, two rigorous fields of study.
I am concerned that even though U.S. universities rank high compared to other countries, it’s just a matter of time until the inadequate education in K-12 infects universities as well, because students are not prepared for such challenges. There are, of course, many reasons for the low scores on the PISA achievement tests. In this blog I have discussed the following reasons.
- A lack of standardized testing, making comparisons of students from different K-12 programs unreliable.
- Grade inflation that pushes kids through the system even if they lack the necessary skills to go on to the next level of education.
- Lack of a work ethic to handle the more challenging subjects such as in STEM.
- Choice of career goals that navigate U.S. kids to social media—to be influencers—rather than STEM and other challenging subjects.
I should mention our skewed educational systems that focus on social justice issues disproportionately when compared to skills that develop critical thinking and ethical reasoning. I don’t mean to belittle these issues. They are important. But, so is reading, writing, math skills, knowledge of science, technology, and so on. If our kids continue to fall behind, will we ever able to keep up with their Asian counterparts? How might this affect the development of future technologies and the search for new and better ways to do things, including being prepared for an increasingly hostile world situation.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, professor emeritus from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, on June 2, 2026.