What's happened
The OECD has released 2025 PISA results showing a global drop in reading, math, and science scores among 15-year-olds, with the United States experiencing a widening gap between low and high performers. The data link increased AI and social media use with weaker performance, while a minority of countries buck the trend.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- The OECD’s findings align with earlier concerns about screen time in schools and the impact of AI on cognitive effort.
- The US shows a notable performance gap, underscoring inequality in access and engagement with digital tools.
- England’s relative resilience suggests policy choices and classroom practices may mitigate declines.
- Forecast: if AI use in schools continues to rise without strong instructional design, the downward trend could persist; conversely, targeted interventions (digital literacy, vetted tool use) could stabilize or improve outcomes.
- Readers should consider how school tech policies and parental guidance shape daily learning experiences.
How we got here
The 2025 PISA results, administered to 760,000 students in 91 countries, show a global decline in reading and other core subjects since 2000. The OECD links sharper declines to higher AI and screen usage in classrooms and at home, with reading especially affected as skimming increases.
Our analysis
- New York Post (Sep 8, 2026): reports that PISA 2025 shows near-20 point drops in reading and math globally; cites OECD data and quotes Mathias Schleicher. "Reading scores have dropped nearly 20 points". - Al Jazeera (Sep 9, 2026): highlights US PISA results and policy debates under Trump on school funding and the Department of Education; notes stark inequality. - New York Post (Sep 9, 2026): emphasizes AI and social media as drivers of declines and calls for reduced screen time in schools.
Go deeper
- Which policies have the strongest evidence for reversing declines?
- How should schools balance technology use with traditional literacy?
- What steps can parents take to support learning at home?
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United States - Country in North America
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.