Students' Use of Chatbot Report

 “A new nationwide survey from the child safety nonprofit Thorn found that AI chatbots have quickly become part of many children's lives, not just for homework or curiosity, but sometimes for advice, emotional support and help navigating frightening online experiences. … Among its findings:

• 67% of children said they have used an AI chatbot.
• Nearly one in four reported experiencing an online sexual interaction.
• Of those children, 15% said they sought support or guidance from an AI chatbot afterward.

Researchers also found that fear and embarrassment increasingly keep children from telling adults when something happens online.” (Gulf Coast News, July 28, 2026).

Thorn, R. et al.  (2026). Youth perspectives on online safety, 2025. 

https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_2025YouthPerspectives_Report.pdf

Teen Reader Struggles Study

 

“New data underscores a troubling trend: Middle schoolers’ reading scores are stuck at post-pandemic lows, even as younger students show some signs of academic recovery. The research, from the assessment and research organization NWEA, examines 6th graders’ reading scores on the company’s MAP Growth tests between 2017 and 2025. On average, 6th graders lost ground between 2019 and 2021, during the height of COVID-related school disruptions. But after that, achievement trends began to diverge for students who were already stronger readers before the pandemic began, and students who were struggling. Sixth graders who were at 90th percentile and the 50th percentile in 2019 saw their scores flatline starting in 2022. But students at the 10th percentile have continued to lose ground, with achievement dropping further year after year. These patterns reinforce other data. Over the past two years, two sets of results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress have shown middle schoolers’ reading scores continuing to fall or stagnating, with the lowest-performing students driving the decline.” (EdWeek, Aug. 4, 2026). Kuhfield, M. (2026). Struggling adolescent readers left behind: Evidence of post-COVID-19 declines and pathways forward.  NWEA Research.  https://www.nwea.org/uploads/struggling-adolescent-readers-left-behind-evidence-of-post-covid-19-declines-and-pathways-forward_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf