Movie Review:
The Right to Read

by Kadjata Bah, age 18

A new documentary film called The Right to Read adds to growing national debates about literacy and the science of reading. This timely and compelling film is streaming for free until March 9, 2023.

Directed by Jenny Mackenzie and produced by LeVar Burton, the film follows a long-time activist, a teacher, and two families as they navigate the future of education.

Kareem Weaver is an Oakland-based activist with the NAACP. He is an experienced educator, and his mission is to create a world where 95% of children can read. Working with Sabrina Causey, a rookie first grade teacher in Oakland, the two make a case for a new curriculum for their students based in the science of reading. [Read More]

New Test Results Show Significant Declines in Math and Reading

by Devika Pal, age 17

Virtual learning has led to some of the lowest math and reading scores among elementary and middle school students in more than 30 years, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education. The study showed online learning exacerbated pre-pandemic difficulties for students who were already struggling. Learning losses also disproportionately affected lower-income and minority students.

Educators say this is especially alarming because reading and math are the foundation for all other subjects and predictors of high school success. After 30 years of increasing scores, they plunged.

According to data collected by the education department from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, math, and reading scores for both 4th and 8th graders have dropped most significantly since 1990. In math, 38% of 8th graders tested below “basic” achievement levels, and 8th-grade reading scores also dropped. Fourth-grade reading had the lowest average score and math scores had their first-ever decline. Black and Hispanic kids had more significant drops than white students. Fourth-grade students who were eligible for free and reduced lunch struggled more than before compared to students who were not eligible. [Read More]

How Schools in Dane County Address Staffing Shortages

by Moises A. Hernandez, age 18

In August of 2022, just before the school year started, many schools in Dane County were still trying to fill job openings. At the time, there were about 650 open positions for teachers, support staff, and administrators across twelve Dane County school districts.

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)—the second largest school district in Wisconsin, serving over 27,000 students in 52 schools—welcomed over 400 new educators after facing its largest staff shortage since 2017. [Read More]

Student Proficiency in Math and Reading Falls below 40% in Wisconsin

by Sydney Steidl, age 16

During the 2020-21 school year, less than a third of Wisconsin youth were rated as proficient in both math and language arts on the Forward Exam. This was the first testing cycle since the exam was implemented in the 2015-2016 school year where student proficiency levels fell below 40 percent.

Much of this decline can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, which moved students to an online learning environment. Adapting to remote learning proved difficult for many students. But these adjustments tended to have a greater impact on lower income students. Also, some students have less access to resources such as tutoring, reliable internet, and library-quality work environment. Even with $2.6 billion for federal Covid relief funding allocated to education, these disparities have proved persistent. [Read More]

Rising College Debt and the “Parent Plus” School Loan Program

by Sandy Flores-Ruiz, age 15

Baylor University, based in central Texas, is one of the many institutions that use a federal loan program called Parent Plus. Among private schools with a minimum of $1 billion endowment, Baylor also had the lowest repayment rate for this particular type of loan.

The Parent Plus program offers federal loans to parents and allows them to help pay for their children’s tuition. Before the introduction of this program, undergraduate students were the largest demographic taking out college loans requiring payment. Now, in the Parent Plus era, parents and graduate students take out the most loans. [Read More]

New Reports Show Wider Achievement Gaps After Pandemic

by Sandy Flores-Ruiz, age 16

Reports showing achievement gaps widened after students moved from in-person instruction to online learning are no surprise. Virtual instruction caused learning loss in thousands of school districts across the nation.

The switch from in-person instruction to online learning produced negative results in student achievement. Several factors—including the disruption of school schedules, remote learning, social isolation, and health or family-related stress—have contributed to a reduction in math and reading test scores. Researchers report that low test scores are an unsettling prediction for the future. [Read More]