The Kids Aren’t Alright: Let’s Talk AI and the High School Grades Crisis
As a recent college graduate, I’ve officially entered the stage of life where I find myself reminiscing on my 23 years of education — my fourth grade paper on the legacy of César Chávez, the song I learned in my high school math class to remember the rules of exponents, the late-night essays I wrote in New York City on everything from the effect of microfinance institutions in Rwanda to the implications of digital censorship and hate speech on democracy. I remember the 18-hour library days, the weeks when four papers and two exams left me running on little sleep (and lots of coffee). It was exhausting at the time, but looking back, I feel deeply grateful for an education that challenged me; one that didn’t hand me the answers but pushed me to seek them out myself.
It’s in this vein that my friends and I often joke: thank goodness we weren’t students in today’s world — a world where AI can write your college essay, solve your math homework, and spit out a synopsis on César Chávez with just one click. I know how tempting it is as a 23-year-old to let AI do the learning for me. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it is for a 13-year-old. This leads me to the question: What happens when an entire generation grows up with AI in their pocket throughout every stage of their education?
The final verdict may be years away, but the outline of two futures are in view. One is an epidemic of AI over-reliance, where students outsource their thinking and stop learning: where students’ critical thinking skills may fail to develop, and we are left with an under-skilled and under-educated workforce. The other future is more hopeful: AI and ed-tech startups augment learning instead of replacing it, making education more engaging, efficient, and accessible.
The urgency of this choice is underscored by the fact that U.S. high school seniors’ test scores and grades have reached their lowest levels in decades. According to the report, ⅓ of 12th graders in the U.S. do not have basic reading skills, and almost half do not have basic math skills. The question for impact investors is clear: how do we fund solutions that address this learning crisis thoughtfully, without creating new risks?
The answer lies in tools that supplement, not replace, the classroom. Adaptive platforms, tutoring bots, and targeted modules have the potential to make high-quality instruction available to millions of students- especially those historically left behind. But without thoughtful guardrails, we risk more screen time, weaker writing, and the erosion of critical thinking.
Thus, with U.S. students’ grades declining and AI transforming how education is delivered, investors have a rare opportunity to determine the trajectory of learning itself- to champion tools that cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and equity, rather than ones that shortcut or diminish it.
By Ava Zlatchin, Investment Analyst Intern
For a more detailed report on the current education crisis: US high school students math and reading scores hit record new low, continuing yearslong decline | CNN
Another interesting read: Driven by AI, edtech funding rebounds with 5X surge in H1 2025 — The Economic Times
For a look into how AI might address global educational disparities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries: Can AI Transform Education to Ensure All Students Benefit? Along with, AI Takeover of Education Is Just Getting Started — The Atlantic
A look into some of the futures of schooling: Alpha School, AI-Driven Education Founded in Austin, Is Coming to More Cities — The New York Times. For a more personal account on the effect of AI in schools today: I’m a High Schooler. AI Is Demolishing My Education — The Atlantic
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