VIDEO: Pandemic reading and math scores decline

(NBC) - New data reveals that reading and math scores have declined significantly for 9-year-old students since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has taken a toll on reading and math scores for America's 9-year-old students.

According to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics, math and reading scores fell dramatically during the first two years of the pandemic.

Reading scores saw their largest decrease in 30 years and math scores had their first decrease in the history of the testing regimen behind the study.

In math, the average score for 9-year-old students fell 7 percentage points between 2020 and 2022, while the average reading score fell 5 points.

The declines impacted all regions of the country and affected students of most races.

But students of color saw some of the steepest decreases and the declines were slightly worse in the northeast and midwest.

Federal officials say this is the first national study to look at student achievement before the pandemic and when most students returned in-person learning.