Over the past few years, high school students have been reading less and less, with reading scores declining at all selected percentiles nationwide. Although most Hudsonville students still average at the proficient level in reading, test scores have steadily flatlined. Many students show a disinterest in literature and would not typically choose to spend their free time in the library. A survey in 2022 found that fewer and fewer young students were reading for enjoyment, which is linked to lower test scores.

Technology has certainly played a role in this decline of literary comprehension. Over the past decade, there has been a surge in screen time, with the typical teenager accumulating four or more hours daily. Literature today is competing with an array of electronic media, and the availability of these alternatives has increasingly drawn adolescents away from reading.

When it comes to schools and testing, the pandemic is largely to blame. Scores saw a dramatic decline after 2020 when students headed back to school, after years marked by closures, quarantine, and remote learning. Student absence from the classroom during the first few years of the pandemic has been shown to have contributed to difficulty in reading comprehension for many students, and chronic absenteeism is still a substantial problem for many school districts. COVID-19 has also jump-started the shift from paper to digital assignments.

More students read passages from a screen than ever before. The SAT made the shift to digital this past year, and national AP Exams are now digital starting this spring. The transition from paper-based to digital assessment methods marks a significant shift in education, driven by advancements in technology over the past few decades. As the internet has become more accessible and technologically advanced, digital assessment solutions evolved to encompass a wide range of functionalities. Online quizzes and tests have become commonplace, offering educators a way to assess student understanding in real-time and provide immediate feedback, but there are still unique benefits to paper-based assessments. Paper assignments and actual books can provide a physical connection to the material being studied, allowing students to engage more deeply with the content. Still, the push for digitalization persists, and continues to impact child and adolescent development when it comes to reading.

This issue doesn't just affect schools like Hudsonville, but will continue to impact the country as declining reading rates in future adults may turn into a generational loss of fundamental literacy.