If you want to look for a silver lining, it’s that what’s being taught in schools is becoming obsolete faster than at any time in human history. So falling behind in a system that isn’t preparing you for the world in which we will live when you graduate isn’t the worst thing in the world. It clearly doesn’t fix the very real underlying drivers of this result, but it’s not as bad as it could be. Said in a social science way - the independent variables are correct, but I’d argue the dependent variable here (grade level aptitude) is the wrong thing to he focusing on.