OTHER STORIES

Does Communal Reading Help Middle Schoolers Do the Reading?

EdWeek

Opinion: Can 'Sold a Story' Change How America Teaches?

The74

Democratic Lawmakers Accuse Ed. Department of 'Frontloading' Grants

K12Dive

Teaching Feelings at Age 4 Pays Off at 21, 20-Year Study Shows

EdWeek

New Journal of Learning Engineering Explores the Emerging Field

Journals

A Snapshot of America's Schools

American NAEP scores for 4th and 8th graders show large gains in math and reading in the early 2000s, followed by a gradual decline starting around 2013, a steep drop during the pandemic, and only a slight rebound since. International tests show that U.S. 15-year-olds compare favorably with peer countries in reading and science but poorly in math. The U.S. is making little progress in closing test score gaps between student subgroups, and the gap between highest-scoring and lowest-scoring students is now larger in the U.S. than in almost all peer countries. In international comparisons, U.S. students are negative outliers in self-reported well-being and time spent on screens. Brookings

Tackling Student Reading Decline

The data is clear: Fewer children are reading for pleasure, and their teachers report difficulty engaging them in reading in school and getting them to read at home. Research links the volume of text kids consume with their overall reading ability. Education Week's newest report looks both at classroom strategies and other tactics educators have found to boost engagement in reading. A mix of modeling, teacher guidance, incentives, and parent involvement seems most likely to help. Teachers and librarians are getting creative with their efforts to get kids interested in reading for pleasure. Articles emphasize the importance of community involvement in a culture of reading. EdWeek

The Midterm Effect

In this collection of essays, Brookings experts examine the implications of the upcoming election on the most significant issues facing the nation. An essay focused on K-12 education predicts limited effects, even with a possible shift to a Democratic majority in Congress. This is because the federal government is not the main stage for education policymaking, and Democrats are unlikely to win a large enough majority to override a presidential veto. However, there could be some effects. Democrats could be better positioned to resist dismantling the Department of Education. And a Democratic majority would likely prevent another budget reconciliation package with K-12 policies that Democrats dislike. Brookings