As the school year kicks into gear, the most recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card, serve as a stark alarm bell.
Reading scores for 12th-grade students hit their lowest point since the assessment began in 1992. Nearly 1 in 3 seniors scored below the NAEP basic level, meaning they struggle to “locate and identify relevant details in the text in order to support literal comprehension.”
Math scores are also in decline, falling to their lowest levels in two decades.
The truth is straightforward: too many of our nation’s students are leaving high school without the skills needed to thrive in college, career, and life. These results aren’t just numbers – they are a wake-up call that the quality of instruction matters more than ever.
So, how do we strengthen teaching and learning at this pivotal moment?
Recently, the Washington Post reported on a school that replaces licensed teachers with “guides” and leans heavily on the AI apps for two hours of daily instruction. While it’s one approach, will two hours a day with an AI tutor help reverse the downward trends we’re seeing? Is sidelining teachers the solution?
A few months ago, the CEO of Duolingo suggested that AI should replace teachers. Jack Lynch, CEO of HMH, responded with a perspective that reinforces the essential role of teachers.
AI is transforming the classroom in real time, but its usefulness in education can only be measured by how well it empowers teachers and drives student growth.
When AI serves as a partner to teachers, it can unlock real, measurable growth while keeping humanity at the heart of learning.
NWEA SVP of Policy and Government Affairs, HMH
At HMH, we believe that the future of education, even in the age of AI, must remain human-centered, curriculum-connected, and teacher-led. Here’s why:
- Teachers are essential. Students thrive when they feel seen, supported, and challenged by trusted educators who can respond to their curiosity, confusion, or inspiration in real time. And when it comes to development, teachers play a crucial role in nurturing critical thinking skills, scaffolding instruction, and building nuanced human relationships grounded in the mutual journeys of interacting, teaching, and learning.
- Curriculum provides coherence. AI must be anchored in rigorous, standards-aligned materials – not left to fill the void with shortcuts. Handing over the important task of instruction to an “AI tutor” risks prioritizing efficiency, speed, and data points over true understanding and deep coherence.
- AI should empower, not replace. When used thoughtfully, AI can save teachers time, which they can invest back into their students. It can make their workflows smarter, sharper, and more sustainable. It can unlock insights that help them personalize instruction in ways that were impossible before. And still, AI shouldn’t be a replacement for human connection, but rather a tool that strengthens it.
When AI serves as a partner to teachers, it can unlock real, measurable growth while keeping humanity at the heart of learning. What it can’t do, however, is be solely responsible for instruction and academic outcomes. That’s the job of an educator.
The NAEP scores are a reminder of what’s at stake. With 12th graders’ reading and math performance at their lowest point in decades, we must focus on what we know works to improve outcomes: high-quality instructional materials, effective teaching, and strong support systems that give students and educators their best chance at success.
We need more – not less – focus on the quality of instruction and the human connections that make learning possible.
***
For more articles on trends in education from experts, subscribe to HMH's LinkedIn newsletter, Policy in Motion.
Get the "Building Your School Culture: An Administrator's Guide" today.
