American Schools Declining

You can see why businesses are keen to replace illiterate new hires with AI or foreign customer service.

This is a reflection on the teaching abilities of US public schools. Concerned parents are moving to charter, religious , or home schooling. What is left. Less students, more money (for administrators with dribble down to the faculty) and smaller classroom size.
Yet the results you posted.
Not to be discounted the effect of school closures during Covid. Kids simply did not respond to remote schooling, see the absentee rates, i.e. students who did not log on, worse students who logged on but subsequently walkaway.
It would be interesting to see the numbers from home-schooled students and those in other than public schools.

Decades ago, teaching attracted women seeking a career. Many other fields were closed to them, so schools could hire the best and Brightest. Now men have been discouraged to go into teaching elementary and high school students, so many boys are not getting good role models pushing them higher. And many of the best women candidates choose to go into higher paying and more prestigious careers in business and government.

Sadly it looks like this trend will continue.

Participation trophies?