Pennsylvania public schools still may be grappling with the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, according to a national report on reading and math proficiency among fourth grade and eighth grade students.

Reading test score declines began in 2019, exacerbated due to pandemic-related setbacks and have continued to slide because of the nation's "complex challenges in reading," said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, at a news conference Tuesday.

Reading scores declined between 2022 and 2024 for students in Austin and across U.S., according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.