Topic: Math Scores

Data from the Harlem Children's Zone and nationwide testing shows that reading and math scores for fourth and eighth graders have dropped to 30-year lows following pandemic lockdowns. Emergency departments have seen a 50% increase in children presenting with mental health crises. Experts describe the pandemic as "throwing gasoline" on a pre-existing youth mental health fire.

While American students rank significantly below Singapore in math, the hosts argue that injecting political ideology into hard sciences will further degrade US education. They also discuss a UN report and BLM goals that advocate for the end of the nuclear family, suggesting a broader agenda to eliminate traditional social structures.

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report shows that US high school seniors are losing ground in math and reading, with only 37% judged college-ready. A Jimmy Kimmel "Man on the Street" segment illustrates this decline, showing young adults who can name numerous Marvel characters but cannot identify US presidents or the Vice President.

The host challenged the narrative that American students are failing in math compared to China, citing a Stanford study that refutes the OECD rankings. The segment also discusses the term "denialist" as a label used by administration supporters to dismiss dissenting views.

The show concludes with a clip of David Brooks discussing the shift from a culture of humility to one of self-celebration. Brooks notes that while 12% of high schoolers in 1950 considered themselves "very important," that number rose to 80% by 2005. He argues that this inflated self-view contributes to political partisanship and national debt.