There is a wide gap between the report cards children bring home and their actual academic skills. Parents rely on grades to measure progress, but standardized assessments show a different reality in reading and math. Closing this gap requires schools to change how they share performance data and families to rethink what report cards mean.
What Happened
According to a collaborative poll by Gallup and Learning Heroes, nearly 90 percent of parents believe their children are performing at or above grade level in reading and math. Yet federal data shows half of all U.S. students entered the school year behind grade level in at least one subject. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that national average reading scores for fourth and eighth graders continue to decline. Only 30 percent of fourth graders scored at or above the proficient level in reading on national assessments, and only 39 percent did so in mathematics. High grades give parents a false sense of security, masking gaps in basic learning.
The Bigger Picture
Post-pandemic grade inflation is the main cause of this divide. To help students during school closures, many districts lowered academic standards and adopted lenient grading policies. Though meant to be temporary, research from the CALDER Center shows that student grades remained high even after schools reopened. The study found that students earning high grades post-pandemic scored lower on standardized state assessments than pre-pandemic students with the exact same grades.
Grades are also inflated by non-academic factors like participation, behavior, and effort. As discussed in The Conversation, separating grades from actual academic mastery makes report cards less useful. Defining grade-level proficiency is also subjective. the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that different state and national tests use vastly different standards for success.
Chronic absenteeism also drives down academic performance. Missing school directly hurts progress, and schools have struggled to solve the problem. Data analyzed by SchoolStatus across 89 districts shows that structured, data-driven outreach can reduce absenteeism. To help, the American Enterprise Institute's Absence Forecast offers a free machine-learning tool. It predicts chronic absenteeism with up to 92 percent accuracy early in the school year, so educators can intervene before students fall behind. As we previously reported, educational technology can help students build critical thinking skills, but parents must first know where their children actually stand.
What This Means for Families
Parents who rely only on report cards get an incomplete picture. A child with straight As can still lack basic reading and math skills. When parents do not know their children are falling behind, they do not seek out tutoring, summer school, or extra help. This leaves students unprepared for college or the workforce, where grade inflation no longer protects them. Schools must move past simple letter grades and offer real context. Sharing real-time attendance and diagnostic test results helps parents see where their children actually stand.
What You Can Do
First, look beyond the report card. Ask your child’s teacher for diagnostic test scores, such as NWEA’s MAP Growth assessments. These tests show performance relative to national peers rather than just classroom averages.
Second, talk to teachers directly. Do not wait for scheduled parent-teacher conferences. Gallup’s research shows that only half of all parents have had detailed conversations with teachers about academic progress. Ask directly if your child is performing on grade level in reading and math.
Finally, track attendance closely. Chronic absenteeism drives academic decline. Use parent portals to monitor absences, and respond immediately to school outreach if your child starts missing days.