Gen Z K-12 students (now in grades six through 12) are more positive about the schools they attend now than they were in the past two years, according to a recent Gallup poll.
This year, students give their schools a B grade overall, on average, compared with a B- in both 2023 and 2024.
Seventy-one percent of students now grade their school an A or B overall, up from 66% in 2023 and 64% in 2024. Almost one-third (31%) give their school an A grade this year, compared with 22% in 2023 and 26% in 2024.
The 2025 grades translate to an average GPA of 2.92 overall (equivalent to a B grade) on a 0-to-4 scale.
Schools’ grades also have improved in aspects that in the past did not rate as well, such as longer-term learning objectives focused on career preparation.
Still, the improved outlook on school’s performance must translate to higher student achievement. And student assessments from 2024 do not show meaningful gains in student math and reading performance, according to Gallup. This is particularly true when comparing testing data from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning. Will the positive results from this year’s Student Report Card be associated with improved student outcomes? This may not be known until 2025 or later administrations of student learning assessments, according to Gallup.
Parents are also more approving of their Gen Z child’s school experience. Forty percent of parents rate their child’s school as an A, up from 33% in 2024. The average parent grade is 3.13, also a B, up from 3.02 last year.
Students across most key subgroups grade their school significantly better overall this year than in 2024. Grades have improved more among Black and Hispanic students than among White and Asian students. Asian students continue to give higher scores than other racial/ethnic groups, although the gap between Asian students and Black or Hispanic students is now narrower.
High school (grades nine through 12) and middle school students differ in their perspective of the quality of their education. High school students now rate their schools more positively than middle school students do.
The Gallup poll had Gen Z students grade their school’s performance on 10 different dimensions related to learning, instruction and preparation. Students are most positive about their school preparing them for the next academic year, their school’s instruction in core subjects like math and reading, and their relationships with their teachers.
In each of the dimensions asked in 2024 and 2025, grades are significantly improved from last year. The biggest improvements are in the four areas that ranked lowest in 2024: helping students figure out what type of career they would like to have; the school teaching skills relevant to the student’s future; making students excited about learning; and adapting instruction to the student’s learning style. Despite the gains, these aspects of education still rank at the bottom of schools’ evaluations.
Gallup
