Source: Fortune
Summary
A recent report by the Anne E. Casey Foundation found that children in the US are experiencing declining educational attainment scores across various indicators, with 70% of fourth graders unable to read proficiently and 73% of eighth graders failing at math proficiency. The report attributed the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on learning models and the lack of targeted programs to help struggling students catch up. The decline in educational attainment is not limited to early education, with high schoolers also seeing historic declines in reading, math, and science proficiency.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
The Anne E. Casey Foundation’s report highlights the long-term effects of the pandemic on early childhood education, with declines in foundational skills such as reading and math. Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs at the foundation, emphasizes the importance of investing in children’s wellbeing, citing the future of the economy as a concern. The report’s findings suggest that the US education system has yet to recover from the pandemic’s impact, with schools struggling to adapt to new challenges such as AI use among students.
The decline in educational attainment is not an isolated issue, with chronic absenteeism and economic difficulties in adulthood also on the rise. Boissiere stresses the need to focus on the broader aspects of child wellbeing, including food security and financial stability, to support children’s ability to learn and thrive in school.
One sentence that reframes the situation: The pandemic’s impact on education has exposed the underlying weaknesses in the US education system, which may have been masked by pre-pandemic trends.
Author: Evan Null
