Why Student Test Scores Keep Falling—and What Teachers Can Do About It

You log into your gradebook, glance at standardized test scores, and notice something unsettling: it’s not just this year or since the pandemic—achievement seems to have been slipping for a while. If this feels familiar, you’re not imagining it. Martin R. West’s EdWeek piece“Student Test Scores Keep Falling. What’s Really to Blame?” into the data to challenge common narratives and point toward what might really be driving long-term declines in student learning.

Martin R. West, professor and academic dean at Harvard Graduate School of Education, argues that while the COVID‑19 pandemic made things worse, declining student achievement has been underway for years, before schools closed in 2020.

Using NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) trends, he demonstrates declines in subjects such as reading, math, U.S. history, and science that began well before the pandemic, particularly among lower-performing students. He suggests that focusing purely on pandemic recovery misses deeper, more systemic factors.

West points to the rise of smartphones and social media as one strong candidate: these technologies, increasingly available since the mid‑2010s, may be distracting students (especially those who are already disadvantaged) both in and out of class. He also looks back to past reform efforts—such as the standards and accountability policies under No Child Left Behind—that once helped lift achievement (especially among low performers), suggesting that the loosening of those policies starting around 2011 may have contributed to the decline.

He doesn’t claim to have proof for all causes, but argues that the circumstantial evidence is strong enough that we should experiment with policies such as bell‑to‑bell phone bans in schools, stricter accountability, more realistic learning targets, better attendance, and stronger partnerships between parents and schools.

Takeaways for Teachers

• Look past the pandemic frame. While COVID‑19 increased achievement drops, many of those drops were well underway in several subjects and grades. Recognizing this helps avoid misplacing all responsibility (or hope) on returning to “normal.”
• Pay attention to out‑of‑class influences. Smartphones and social media distract students at home and school, and this seems to affect lower‑performing students disproportionately. It may be worth discussing explicit expectations around device use with families, or exploring classroom/school policies around phones.
• Revisit accountability and standards. Policies that held schools rigorously accountable for student learning (especially for low‑performers) saw improvement in the past decades. While no policy is perfect, there may be lessons to learn from what worked—and what loosened—that could be adapted or modernized.
• Engage parents and focus on attendance. Chronic absenteeism is a consistent contributor to learning loss. Teachers and schools can partner with parents to emphasize the importance of attendance, establish routines, and create structures that support students being present and ready to learn.
• Set realistic goals and metrics. Learning targets should consider both what schools can control and the outside factors students bring. Realistic, incremental goals that allow for growth (especially for struggling students) may help lessen declines and narrow achievement gaps.

How Teachers Can Apply This in the Classroom

Understanding the bigger picture allows teachers to take action. Here are a few classroom-level strategies:

• Create tech boundaries that support focus. Establish clear, consistent guidelines for device use during class time. Consider incorporating screen-free bell work or “focus zones” to help students stay engaged.
• Design scaffolded goals. Use data to identify each student’s current level and build goals that are both challenging and achievable. Celebrate progress to motivate continued growth, especially for students who are struggling.
• Build in routines that reinforce attendance and readiness. Start each day or class with a predictable, purposeful routine that rewards being on time and ready to learn. Even simple check-ins can foster a sense of belonging.
• Strengthen family communication. Share insights about the importance of attendance, focus, and consistent effort. Use regular newsletters, emails, or positive phone calls to keep parents in the loop and involved.
• Reflect on and refine your classroom culture. Ask: Are we fostering a culture that values effort, growth, and focus? What’s one small shift I can make to strengthen that culture this week?

If we accept that these downward trends have been in motion long before the pandemic, what shifts might your school or district make to address the deeper roots—beyond just catching up? Consider these questions:

• What policies or practices does your school currently have around device use during school hours, and could these be revisited in light of cooling student focus?
• How does accountability play out in your classroom, school, or district? Are students and teachers being supported in ways that make targets meaningful and attainable?
• What partnerships with families already exist, and how might they be deepened (especially around attendance and out‑of‑school learning behaviors)?