Latest news with #NationalAssessmentforEducationalProgress
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers question Maine educational officials on poor math and reading scores
Feb. 6—Maine lawmakers repeatedly pressed Department of Education leaders on Wednesday to answer questions about why the state's math and reading scores are so low compared to other states. Department officials said Maine's innovative curricula and local control means national assessments don't accurately reflect student success, an explanation many lawmakers on the legislative education committee seemed skeptical of. They argued the state still needs ways to compare student achievement and progress. "I hear what you said, that it's not that bad, but it seems that bad to me," Rep. Barbara Bagshaw, R-Windham, said to state education officials. "I don't look at assessment results as good or bad," Jodi Bossio-Smith, the state's director of assessment, said. "I think the data is the data." The National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card, is administered nationally to a broad sample of fourth and eighth graders. This year's results showed that students across the country failed to make up for pandemic-era learning losses. Maine's scores did not change significantly from the last assessment in 2022 but fourth graders are considered significantly below the national average in math and reading scores. And while every state's scores dropped between the last pre-pandemic assessment in 2019 and 2024, Maine saw some of the largest drops in the nation, especially among fourth graders. NAEP VALIDITY In a Wednesday hearing, Maine education officials spoke with the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee about the results. Bossio-Smith explained that in 2024, 1,900 Maine students in both fourth and eighth grades were assessed for the NAEP reading test, while 1,700 students in each grade took the math test. She said there wasn't a statistically significant change between Maine's 2022 and 2024 scores, especially when compared to the large drop in scores the state experienced between 2019 and 2022. But lawmakers asked why Maine, which previously ranked near the top of the list, has fallen to 38th. Bossio-Smith said NAEP can be a good starting point for asking questions, but said the scores aren't inherently bad. Chief Teaching and Learning Officer Beth Lambert testified that there are "key limitations" with NAEP as an assessment. "While NAEP is often referred to as the Nation's Report Card, there are serious concerns about its validity, fairness, and ability to assess cutting-edge curricula," Lambert said. She said the test is designed to compare broad trends and doesn't reflect state-specific priorities. She also said the test assesses rote memorization, while modern teaching emphasizes more holistic learning. "NAEP misaligns with modern curricula and instructional practices," she said, citing a 2020 study. "NAEP has been slow to incorporate newer instructional methods that incorporate deeper learning, core elements of Maine's education strategies." Lambert said NAEP fails to capture the type of "innovative" programs Maine has launched, like structured reading instruction for pre-K through third grade, professional development in evidence-based literacy instruction, and holistic math instruction that focus on problem-solving and real-world application. Scott Marion, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP, said its unlikely Maine's classrooms are so different from other states. He agreed that no single test can evaluate overall student success. But he said NAEP is the gold standard for national assessment. "Trying to brush this problem under the rug is a mistake, and to do it by trying to attack the test is an even worse mistake," he said. He said Maine should instead be digging into the results, along with other data about how it stacks up in different areas, like special education and socioeconomically disadvantaged students, to assess the state's strengths and weaknesses. "To just dismiss the assessment out of hand as being invalid and unfair — that's a fight you don't want to have, because the technical documentation supporting the validity of NAEP scores, the accuracy of scores, the validity of the sampling approach, is pretty voluminous," Marion said. HOW SHOULD MAINE ASSESS STUDENTS? Maine conducts its own statewide assessment, but Lambert said because of the state's emphasis on local autonomy, the best tests are the ones that happen on the district level; Maine doesn't impose a standard statewide curriculum. Still, Lambert said there isn't one way to measure student success, which is why taking a more holistic look is necessary. Some committee members continued to push back. "I think we have fantastic teachers, but we have a problem. We have a big problem," Bagshaw said. "The kids aren't getting educated in the basics." Bagshaw said she gets calls from parents who are considering private school or homeschooling. "What do I say to these parents that are pulling their kids from the schools to go elsewhere for an education to get the basics?" she asked. Lambert said she knows students are making progress because she spends time in schools, interacting with teachers and observing growth. "I can't give you a data point that I think will tell us the answer," she said. "I believe in our schools, and I believe in our teachers and our kids and our schools in this state." "I believe in our teachers and our schools as well, but we need a concrete way to measure if they're improving when everybody's saying we're at the bottom of the barrel," Bagshaw replied. "Because I don't see it, and I want to see it. I want our schools to succeed, but we're not." 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Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Post-pandemic nose-dive: Why student test scores are raising alarms among parents and teachers
Five years ago, teachers shut their classroom doors and scrambled to set up video conference for their students,Now, new national test scores show America's kids – especially the nation's lowest achieving students – have yet to return to pre-pandemic academic levels. Teachers, parents and education leaders are raising alarms about the state of education after seeing the sobering results of the U.S. Department of Education's latest Nation's Report Card results Wednesday. The data shows a post-pandemic nose-dive in literacy scores and a widening achievement gap between the nation's highest and lowest learners in math and reading skills. Many of them are calling on national leaders and school officials to speed up learning recovery. Strengthening American education, they say, is urgent. "We need to figure out what we got wrong and what we need to adjust," said Tequilla Brownie, CEO of TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to redesign education to help students of color and those living in poverty. New test scores reveal: Kids' reading, math skills are worsening. What's going on? Fourth and eighth graders tested at lower reading levels on the National Assessment for Educational Progress in 2024 than before COVID-19. The achievement gap also widened between the nation's highest and lowest performing learners in literacy test scores. The pandemic exacerbated a reading crisis that began before schools shifted to remote learning, said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. Kids now don't have the joy for reading they once did and teachers have changed the way they teach writing in the digital age, she said. Adeola Whitney, CEO of a national nonprofit which works to improve equitable access to literacy education called Reading Partners, said it's "alarming" that more students are scoring at low reading levels. "Reading is a civil right that should be afforded to every student in the US. Our children deserve nothing less," Whitney wrote in an email. Brownie, from TNTP, said she's especially concerned about low-scoring kids who live in poverty - and are at risk of staying in poverty because they aren't skilled in reading. "Kids that are behind don't have to remain behind, but we have to focus on identifying solutions for kids that need those solutions and implement them," Brownie said. The Biden administration granted schools $189.5 billion through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) under the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding – given to school leaders to use to accelerate student learning recovery expired in September, yet kids' haven't caught up as planned. Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, called the new test results a "national disgrace." "Despite an unprecedented $190 billion in federal investment meant to accelerate learning recovery, too many states have nothing to show for it except worsening outcomes," Rodrigues wrote in an email Wednesday. "It's time to stop pretending that 'business as usual' is acceptable—because these results are a disaster." Rodrigues called on Congress to investigate how schools spent the COVID-relief money and on the Trump administration to develop a "national strategy to ensure states are delivering on their responsibility to provide every child with a high-quality education," which she said could include state-mandated high-dosage tutoring, extended learning time and high quality learning materials. Lindsay Dworkin, senior vice president of policy and government affairs at the education assessment company NWEA, echoed Rodrigues's call for urgency given the recent expiration of the temporary funding. "With the federal emergency funds now used up, it's more important than ever that policy and education leaders focus ever-scarcer resources on evidence-based strategies like combatting chronic absenteeism, scaling high-dosage tutoring, and expanding instructional time through extended school days and summer programming," Dworkin wrote in an email. Student chronic absenteeism rates grew from 15% to 26% between 2018 to 2023 due to pandemic-related setbacks, according to an analysis from the American Enterprise Institute. Chronic absenteeism refers to when a student misses 10% or more of the school year. The new federal data released Wednesday shows that student absenteeism remains a problem for America's schools, and low-performing students are more likely to miss school than other kids. Five reasons kids are missing school: Chronic absenteeism is schools' 'biggest problem.' "Absenteeism, which rose over the pandemic period, has declined since the 2022 assessment, but not to pre-pandemic levels," reads a news release from the National Center for Education Statistics. "We should care because if students aren't in school, then they can't learn," Carr said. Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@ Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nation's Report Card: Why low student test scores raise alarms
USA Today
30-01-2025
- General
- USA Today
Post-pandemic nose-dive: Why student test scores are raising alarms among parents and teachers
Post-pandemic nose-dive: Why student test scores are raising alarms among parents and teachers Show Caption Hide Caption What is school avoidance? Student anxiety spikes post COVID School avoidance has been on the rise for years, but experts say more students are struggling to get back to class since the COVID-19 pandemic. Josh Morgan, USA TODAY Five years ago, teachers shut their classroom doors and scrambled to set up video conference for their students,Now, new national test scores show America's kids – especially the nation's lowest achieving students – have yet to return to pre-pandemic academic levels. Teachers, parents and education leaders are raising alarms about the state of education after seeing the sobering results of the U.S. Department of Education's latest Nation's Report Card results Wednesday. The data shows a post-pandemic nose-dive in literacy scores and a widening achievement gap between the nation's highest and lowest learners in math and reading skills. Many of them are calling on national leaders and school officials to speed up learning recovery. Strengthening American education, they say, is urgent. "We need to figure out what we got wrong and what we need to adjust," said Tequilla Brownie, CEO of TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to redesign education to help students of color and those living in poverty. New test scores reveal: Kids' reading, math skills are worsening. What's going on? The U.S. has a literacy crisis Fourth and eighth graders tested at lower reading levels on the National Assessment for Educational Progress in 2024 than before COVID-19. The achievement gap also widened between the nation's highest and lowest performing learners in literacy test scores. The pandemic exacerbated a reading crisis that began before schools shifted to remote learning, said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. Kids now don't have the joy for reading they once did and teachers have changed the way they teach writing in the digital age, she said. Adeola Whitney, CEO of a national nonprofit which works to improve equitable access to literacy education called Reading Partners, said it's "alarming" that more students are scoring at low reading levels. 'Reading is a civil right' "Reading is a civil right that should be afforded to every student in the US. Our children deserve nothing less," Whitney wrote in an email. Brownie, from TNTP, said she's especially concerned about low-scoring kids who live in poverty - and are at risk of staying in poverty because they aren't skilled in reading. "Kids that are behind don't have to remain behind, but we have to focus on identifying solutions for kids that need those solutions and implement them," Brownie said. Temporary COVID-relief funding for education is gone The Biden administration granted schools $189.5 billion through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) under the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding – given to school leaders to use to accelerate student learning recovery expired in September, yet kids' haven't caught up as planned. Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, called the new test results a "national disgrace." "Despite an unprecedented $190 billion in federal investment meant to accelerate learning recovery, too many states have nothing to show for it except worsening outcomes," Rodrigues wrote in an email Wednesday. "It's time to stop pretending that 'business as usual' is acceptable—because these results are a disaster." Rodrigues called on Congress to investigate how schools spent the COVID-relief money and on the Trump administration to develop a "national strategy to ensure states are delivering on their responsibility to provide every child with a high-quality education," which she said could include state-mandated high-dosage tutoring, extended learning time and high quality learning materials. Lindsay Dworkin, senior vice president of policy and government affairs at the education assessment company NWEA, echoed Rodrigues's call for urgency given the recent expiration of the temporary funding. "With the federal emergency funds now used up, it's more important than ever that policy and education leaders focus ever-scarcer resources on evidence-based strategies like combatting chronic absenteeism, scaling high-dosage tutoring, and expanding instructional time through extended school days and summer programming," Dworkin wrote in an email. 'If students aren't in school, they can't learn' Student chronic absenteeism rates grew from 15% to 26% between 2018 to 2023 due to pandemic-related setbacks, according to an analysis from the American Enterprise Institute. Chronic absenteeism refers to when a student misses 10% or more of the school year. The new federal data released Wednesday shows that student absenteeism remains a problem for America's schools, and low-performing students are more likely to miss school than other kids. Five reasons kids are missing school: Chronic absenteeism is schools' 'biggest problem.' "Absenteeism, which rose over the pandemic period, has declined since the 2022 assessment, but not to pre-pandemic levels," reads a news release from the National Center for Education Statistics. "We should care because if students aren't in school, then they can't learn," Carr said. Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@ Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.
