States are leaning into the “science of reading” to address a growing crisis in learning. But can the approach be effective if underlying issues like student hunger and absenteeism aren’t also addressed?
California’s $53 million investment in teaching its youngest and lowest-performing students to read has shown dramatic — and relatively fast — results, researchers at Stanford have found.
While California’s literacy crisis certainly predates the pandemic, with less than half of California children reading at grade level back in 2019, the fallout of the pandemic, the devastating impact of school closures and remote learning, has sent test scores plummeting further.
The scores may be grim, some say, but they re far from shocking. Some experts warn that cratering test scores warn of a system that was broken long before the pandemic.
The scores may be grim, some say, but they're far from shocking. Some experts warn that cratering test scores warn of a system that was broken long before the pandemic.