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America's Report Card is Out and the News Isn't Good

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Learn more about Anne Wicks.
Anne Wicks
Anne Wicks
Don Evans Family Managing Director, Opportunity and Democracy
George W. Bush Institute

Reading scores fell across the board to new lows in the 2024 National Assessment of Academic Progress (NAEP), known as America’s Report Card.

Results from this exam – given to students in every state – came out this week. It’s the only apples-to-apples tool we have to see the progress of students from Florida to Alaska and all points in between. The scores were even lower than 2022’s alarming results that reflected the immediate impact of the pandemic. Despite a huge investment of public dollars designed to help learners recover from the disruptions of school closures, far too many of our students are still languishing and getting further off track.

Only 31% of fourth graders and 38% of eighth graders are considered proficient in reading. That means 69% of fourth graders and 62% of eighth graders are missing key reading skills that significantly limit their ability to stay on track in school. And, importantly, the gaps between the kids who are on track and those who are falling behind are getting wider.

These students will not grow out of these gaps. They will grow into them.

The real tragedy is that we know how to teach reading well.  A research-based approach, often referred to as the Science of Reading, emphasizes the five core elements of strong reading instruction. Based on decades of study, this approach should inform all reading instruction in this country – and all teachers and principals should be well versed in the research.

Unfortunately, that is not the case – although the tide is turning thanks to the efforts of journalists, researchers, and state leaders who are committed to ensuring that ineffective methods are removed from our classrooms.  At least 40 states have Science of Reading laws now on the books, and a class action suit has been filed against the publishers and creators of one of the most pervasive and ineffective curriculums.  Now it is up to the adults in charge to be sure high-quality instruction and materials show up in classrooms every day.

The chaos of the pandemic is not the only cause. Scores in reading and math have been declining since 2013 when test-based accountability rules were relaxed in many states and screens began to infiltrate classrooms and living rooms.

Without real intervention, students will fall further behind in their next grade, struggling to read new material, to write their thoughts, and analyze problems. They will become young adults who will likely forgo college or struggle mightily on campus and drop out, without a degree but likely with student debt. Most will not be qualified for jobs that pay well enough to sustain a family. They will become adults who can’t easily access the information they need to vote.

Some states – and cities – have committed to the magic elixir of strong policy and strong implementation that creates and sustains improvement. And it shows in their scores.

Mississippi has held its ground on its remarkable reading progress, thanks to work begun a decade ago and sustained through leadership changes. Louisiana has now followed suit by committing to implementing, with fidelity, research-based reading instruction. Houston ISD, in the midst of a difficult and contentious state takeover, saw glimmers of progress in its scores thanks to a districtwide commitment to teaching the right content well each day while believing in the potential of their students.

Dismal NAEP scores can seem like someone else’s problem. Or worse, a problem of inevitability that is simply too hard to solve. But if we want the American economy to remain robust – and we want American democracy to thrive – then we need citizens who can read, write, and solve problems. There is no way around it. We can’t throw up our hands or shake our fists.

Our children can learn and succeed – if adults commit to investing in and implementing what works.