A new Stanford report argues U.S. school performance declines reflect a longer “learning recession” that predates COVID—citing a major shift in federal education policy after the No Child Left Behind era. The report’s authors point to 2013-era score faltering and decade-long math stagnation, while acknowledging pandemic-era disruption and uneven relief distribution. The report’s distinctive claim is that loosening federal accountability provisions tied to NCLB may have catalyzed achievement declines. Thomas Kane of Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, a report co-author, said the challenge is not just what happened after COVID but also what changed in federal policy earlier. The debate echoes renewed calls for stronger, test-based accountability. After NAEP results showed decade-long patterns, some advocates renewed interest in accountability systems that studies suggest contributed to earlier NAEP gains. Across higher education and policy circles, the report is likely to feed reauthorization and assessment design discussions, especially as states revisit how they use summative tests, transparency, and interventions.