The percentage of eighth graders who have “below basic” reading skills according to NAEP was the largest it has been in the exam’s three-decade history — 33 percent. The percentage of fourth graders at “below basic” was the largest in 20 years, at 40 percent. There was progress in math, but not enough to offset the losses of the pandemic.

Reading skills for eighth-graders hit its lowest level since testing began in 1992. Levels for fourth-graders were also near record lows as educators struggle to keep students engaged in a post-pandemic world.

Maine fourth graders' math and reading skills are among the lowest in the country and have dropped the most since pre-pandemic levels. That's according to new data released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics.