In the context of American education, a new challenge has arisen, it is evident that something has to be addressed, this reality can be seen within grades, educational policies, and government authorities: students within the United States are increasingly performing worse. American students have been increasingly losing both their reading and problem-solving efficiency.
Words failing to do justice to the current crisis at hand is the pandemic and the subsequent supervision of the education department, only two major factors out of many. One can realize the impact of this data released by the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) substances—students are not achieving or progressing nearly enough, and the educational system is bound to fail tremendously, but for now, the bigger question remains, why, and how can we remedy this?
The Sobering Decline in Reading and Math Proficiency
Several new parameters within the NAEP in 2022 have highlighted the entire omnipresent issue, leading to serious figures among key students in the schooling system, in this case, math and reading. The percentage of eighth graders who have the ability to read and understand the material has gone from increasing within the years to only 31% in the latter period of time compared to 34% in 2019.
As time passes, it becomes more disturbing knowing that the amount of readers below the average has increased by an astounding 30%. To make matters worse the percentage of those performing within reading standards stands at a meager 26% with an astounding 74% failing to even meet the bare minimum.
This trend is worrying taking into account the fact that literacy and numeracy are the basic skills that every person needs to succeed in academics and progress economically. As Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms4Liberty and host of the Joyful Warrior Podcast pointed out:
“Only 31% of 8th graders are proficient in reading. 30% are ‘below basic’ readers-functionally illiterate.”
Only 31% of 8th graders are proficient in reading.
— Tiffany Justice (@4TiffanyJustice) December 28, 2024
30% are "below basic" readers- functionally illiterate.
And only 27% of 8th graders are proficient in math.
Hiring American workers is more difficult because our education system is failing. @elonmusk @VivekGRamaswamy…
The data clarifies a disturbing fact: most of the students have problems achieving the minimal educational standard which decreases their chances of making it later on in their life.
A Reason for Change: The Unsparing Effects on Black Children
The picture, to say the least, becomes even bleaker when looking at the effect these declines have on Black pupils from a percentage perspective. There are also large proportions of children who are black that the education system, in essence, lies to and almost guarantees that it will mangle their academic future and their entire lifetime in general.
Dumisani Washington (@DumisaniTemsgen) calls out a very pertinent issue of educational attainment among different races, thereby bringing more context to the discourse around educational systems issues:
…and the stats for Black boys? 85% illiteracy in US public schools. Many Americans now squealing about hiring American tech workers totally ignored our public education system. And reforming it will take at least a generation.
— Dumisani Washington (@DumisaniTemsgen) December 29, 2024
This is why education choice was a focal point of…
Tiffany Jones agrees in a following tweet:
Yes, worse for black children. It’s unacceptable and has to change. pic.twitter.com/P4Vq7hpRBh
— Tiffany Justice (@4TiffanyJustice) December 30, 2024
There are impressive obstacles in the way of black children and education, and these structural problems need to be tackled immediately.
The statistics confirm this: It is evident that black pupils in eighth grade did perform poorly in reading as well as in mathematics proficiency when compared with other pupils. The children were not only failing to cope with subjects but also the children improved proficiency over the years however, the gap between their white counterparts widened Which again proves that inequalities in the society stem from systemic and economic resources. It requires concrete measures to meet the requirements of these neglected groups.
The World View: American Students Lag
American students are losing educational positions in ranking relative to students from elsewhere. U.S. test scores were clearly reported in the Wall Street Journal to be low on global standards testing showing a worrisome trend among the American pupils with their standing in the global rankings becoming quite low in a lot of measures and areas.
‘US test scores have gone down way more than projected and this automatically placed American students lower on the global ranking than prior to the global pandemic. (WSJ)’.
A lot of other countries including China and Singapore have largely expanded their concentration in investments aimed at education. This has enabled them to outperform the US in academic rankings including Mathematics, Reading, and even comprehension.
This decline on an international level is not purely about national honor, but it also affects America’s standing in the global competition arena in the increasing globalization phenomenon. The question remains: has the US lagged behind its main competitors too far for it to regain competitiveness, or is there still room for the US to catch up?
An Overview of the Effects of Decreased Educational Status on the Economies
Without any doubt, the decline in academics extends beyond the classroom overshadowing the entire economy. This is because when a student fails to have an understanding of vital subject areas such as mathematics and reading, it adversely limits his or her career spectrum, thereby influencing his or her productive abilities. The Economic Policy Institute has stated that “Students with lower test scores are less likely to graduate high school as well as attend college.” The resultant skills gap widens unemployment and lowers the income rate of certain population segments.
An uneducated workforce in America might spell doom on the national economy as the country is battling an ever-changing job market and mass production through machines. There are more chances of economically low-qualified employees being on the downside of the economy which increasingly relies on the advancement of technology.
Mary A Batchellor Nichols (@MaryABatchellor) highlights the role of parents in the education of their children and how individual efforts can considerably influence the social achievement of children in education:
Reading has always been a high priority at our house, not just when our children were small but now that we have grandchildren. We read to them beginning at infancy and each child now excels above grade level. But it requires a commitment to spend “book time” with them. pic.twitter.com/ql0IAOPYLE
— Mary A Batchellor Nichols (@MaryABatchellor) December 29, 2024
A Way Out: Is There A Solution?
What makes a positive perspective is that these challenges can be tackled. Most experts agree that improving the strength of the union should come first. Teachers form the core of the education system. Their better preparation, enhanced support, and increased remuneration improve student outcomes. Research has shown repeatedly that learners achieve better educational outcomes when they are taught by teachers with the appropriate professional qualifications and certifications.
Additionally, restructuring educational programs and emphasizing on sensitization is vital. Schools should implement a variety of teaching strategies that respond to the needs of all learners and address their learning challenges. This fact includes giving more resources to learners with disabilities and those from other disadvantaged groups.
One Twitter user Jason Bell @JasonBell171951 is in support of making online education a basic right for every American that comprises not just the college, but also the necessary training, job placement, and other relevant activities like internships:
We need an online sophisticated education system that can be accessed by all Americans. This system should extend through college and offer internships, job shadowing, and market placement. This is the way we can get competitive again and cut out wasted education and spending.
— Jason Bell (@JasonBell171951) December 30, 2024
We need a holistic approach toward the evaluation of students’ performance as well. We should not only be looking at the performance of students on standardized tests, but also look at more relevant aspects of student achievement such as social-emotional skills, creativity, and critical thinking which would be much more meaningful to students when they leave school.
Reimagining the Future of Education
The crisis that defines US education best reflects a perennial challenge across all nations. To achieve the goal of addressing the crisis of proficiency and preparing students for the future we need to decisively move. Educational reforms must and have to be courageous, comprehensive and aimed at everybody who is affected by the closed achievement gap, particularly the marginalized populations.
Education is the foundation upon which a society is built. It has nothing to do with scoring in tests, but it has more to do with the generation and nurturing of the subsequent generations. We have to unlearn the act of just addressing the crisis and unlearn focusing on capacity building for every student.
In the end, there’s more to fixing the education system of America than merely an academic task, it is a reconstructive practice. This education crisis is one that we have to confront if the future of our children and the future of the nation is to be both secure and guaranteed. Only then can we hope to turn around the worrying trends, and create a world where education is genuinely addressing all the students’ needs.
Last Updated on by Saket Kumar