No. Multiple long-term educational indicators show clear increases since the federal Department of Education was created in 1979. By 2020, the percent of adults 18-24 with a high school diploma or alternative credential had increased to 94.3 from 83.9 in 1980. The National Center for Education Statistics reported public high school graduation rates of 87% nationally and 81% in Oklahoma. Scores on the NAEP long-term trend reading and mathematics assessments, typically administered to 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old students nationwide every four years, have also increased over the past five decades, except for the 10th and 25th percentile reading and 10th percentile mathematics scores for 13-year-olds, which decreased. The average reading score for 13-year-olds is only one point above the 1971 score; however, reading and mathematics scores for 9- and 13-year-olds peaked well above their 1970s scores in 2012 before declining. This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one. Oklahoma Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Sources U.S. Department of Education An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education: History and PurposeStatista Percentage of young adults who have completed high school in the United States from 1980 to 2020National Center for Education Statistics Public High School Graduation RatesNational Center for Education Statistics Reading and Mathematics Score TrendsThe Nations Report Card Average Scores and Percentiles The post Has every educational statistic gotten worse since the Department of Education was created? appeared first on Oklahoma Watch. ...read more read less