What’s caused reading scores to drop to worst point in decades? Education expert weighs in

Originally posted on PBS News Hour

Math and reading scores dropped to their lowest levels in more than two decades among high school seniors. That’s according to the Nation’s Report Card put out by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. It shows that student achievement has continued to decline since the pandemic. There are many theories about what’s going on, and William Brangham explored some of that with Thomas Kane.

Reading Partners CEO Adeola Whitney was also featured, highlighting the urgent need to support students’ reading growth nationwide. She spoke about the importance of early literacy and the fact that young students benefit when they have the opportunity to practice reading both in and out of school. Community-powered solutions like Reading Partners bring individualized tutoring to thousands of students to help them build the literacy skills they need to thrive in school and beyond.

Learn more about current reading trends, or get involved in our mission to increase access to high-quality literacy education by volunteering as a literacy tutor or donating to Reading Partners.