U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, who serves as Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has initiated an inquiry into the declining preparedness of students for college-level math courses. On January 23, 2026, Cassidy sent letters to 35 selective colleges and universities across the United States seeking information on the reasons behind this trend.
In his communication to these institutions, Cassidy stated: “The United States faces a crisis in student achievement at the K-12 level that has begun to spill over into higher education, especially in math. This state of affairs is unacceptable and demands immediate corrective action. To that end, as Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, I am launching an inquiry to better understand the prevalence and root causes of declines in math preparation at selective institutions of higher education.”
The inquiry was addressed to several prominent schools including Boston College, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Yale University and others.
Previously, Cassidy expressed concerns about findings from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which reported notable drops in student performance in reading, math and science. He also published a report with recommendations aimed at addressing issues within the American education system and improving literacy among children.
For further updates from HELP Republicans visit their official website or follow @GOPHELP on Twitter.
