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Learning Heroes’ latest data shows that fewer parents believe their children are performing at or above grade level than in 2022. The survey points to a more realistic picture of student progress, though experts say increased public discussion—not necessarily tougher grading—may explain the shift.
Fewer parents now say their children are at or above grade level in math and reading than in 2022, according to new survey data from Learning Heroes, a nonprofit focused on helping parents understand student performance. The findings suggest more parents are questioning whether school grades match what children have learned, though the data does not establish why perceptions have changed.
Since 2022, the share of parents who believe their children are at or above grade level in math has fallen 9 percentage points, to 83%. In reading, it has dropped 5 points, to 88%. The report says those levels are similar to early 2021, when school closures during the pandemic had made learning setbacks more visible to families.
The declines were larger in two locations cited by Learning Heroes. In New York City, the share of parents reporting their child was at or above grade level fell 13 points to 81% in math and 8 points to 87% in reading. In Tarrant County, Texas, it fell from 92% to 84% in math and from 96% to 84% in reading. Learning Heroes has worked with local leaders in New York City to help parents interpret assessment data and seek support for children who have fallen behind.
The organization also reports a change in parents’ views of school grades. From 2019 to 2022, more than 80% of parents said their child earned B’s or better; in the latest data, fewer than three-quarters say their children always bring home good grades. The provided report does not specify the latest survey’s sample size, field dates or methods.
Parents Question What Grades Show
The change matters because parents rely on grades and school updates to judge whether a child needs help. If families interpret a passing grade as evidence of mastery, they may not recognize gaps in reading or math until later. Learning Heroes founder and CEO Bibb Hubbard said parents still face “a disconnect,” but now have “a more realistic picture.”
The survey captures parents’ perceptions, not direct measurements of student achievement. Its findings do not show that children’s skills improved or worsened, or that schools changed their grading practices. Still, the trend comes amid wider questions about whether grades and classroom feedback reliably signal what students know.
Parents in the report also said concerns such as screen time and emotional well-being weigh more heavily on them than their children’s math and reading skills. That may shape whether families act on academic concerns, even as awareness of possible learning gaps grows.
Grades and Achievement Gaps
Concerns about a mismatch between grades and academic performance predate the latest survey. The report cites data showing that between 2016 and 2021, average GPA among students taking the ACT rose from 3.22 to 3.39, while average ACT scores edged down from 20.8 to 20.3. Those figures describe students who took the ACT and do not, by themselves, identify why grades rose while scores fell.
The pandemic intensified debate about whether grades reflected mastery. The report says some schools allowed exam retakes and awarded credit for completing work regardless of whether answers were correct, practices that researchers said could add to grade inflation. A separate Thomas B. Fordham Institute survey found that a majority of high school students reported consistently earning A’s, while at least 40% scored in the bottom half nationally on the SAT or ACT. The report also says 44% of students who earned all or mostly A’s scored below 1,000 on the SAT.
More recently, accounts of college students struggling with basic math have added to public discussion about whether school performance measures tell families enough. Marc Porter Magee, head of the education advocacy network 50CAN, said “the drumbeat” is prompting parents to ask whether an A means mastery.
““But parents have a more realistic picture.””
— Bibb Hubbard, founder and CEO of Learning Heroes
What the Survey Cannot Explain
The data shows a change in what parents report believing; it does not determine whether students’ actual performance changed, whether grading became stricter, or whether increased attention to learning gaps influenced responses. Polikoff said he knows of evidence that the issue is being discussed more, but not outside evidence that grading has become harder.
The source material provided does not include the latest survey’s sample size, dates, question wording or margin of error. It also does not give enough detail to judge whether the national and local results are directly comparable across survey years. The reasons parents are less likely to say their children are on grade level remain unclear.
How Schools Respond to Parent Concerns
The report does not announce a new policy or a scheduled follow-up. Learning Heroes has worked with local leaders in New York City to help parents understand assessment results and seek assistance when children are behind. The next practical question is whether families’ changed expectations lead to more requests for clear assessments, examples of student work and targeted academic support.
Further survey details and independent measures of student achievement would help clarify whether the shift reflects changing performance, greater awareness or both. Until then, the findings offer a snapshot of parents’ views, rather than a direct measure of what students have mastered.
Key Questions
What did the Learning Heroes data find?
Since 2022, the share of parents who say their child is at or above grade level fell 9 percentage points in math, to 83%, and 5 points in reading, to 88%.
Does the survey show that student achievement has fallen?
No. It measures parents’ views of their children’s performance. The reported figures do not directly measure student achievement or explain the change in perceptions.
Why might parents be questioning grades?
Experts cited in the report point to greater discussion of learning gaps and concerns that grades may not always show mastery. The survey does not establish a single cause.
Where were the reported declines largest?
Among the locations described, New York City saw a 13-point decline in parents reporting grade-level math performance, to 81%. In Tarrant County, Texas, the share fell 12 points in reading, to 84%.
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