U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has released a report addressing declining child literacy rates and proposing reforms to the K-12 education system. The release follows recent data from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress showing that reading scores among fourth and eighth graders have dropped by two points since 2022 and five points compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The percentage of students performing “below basic” in reading is now at its highest recorded level for eighth graders and at its highest since 2000 for fourth graders.
Cassidy’s report continues his efforts to improve child literacy across the United States. In a statement accompanying the report, he said: “Teaching students how to read effectively should be the top priority of America’s K-12 education system. The challenges in achieving this points to a deeper problem: an education system that for too long has accepted a status quo that fails our children,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. “Every student is unique and has different learning needs. In medicine, we used to treat all people with cancer in the same manner with limited results. Now, we have specialized care for each type of cancer, dramatically improving patient outcomes. We need the same approach with improving literacy.”
He added: “Improving student literacy is a crucial step in fixing our broken K-12 education system. It will be an all-hands-on-deck endeavor,” continued Dr. Cassidy. “Furthermore, parents’ rights must be protected. They must have a seat at the table and be equipped with the information necessary to ensure their child’s needs are met. Schools putting barriers between parents and their kids should not be tolerated.”
The report outlines several proposals aimed at raising literacy rates and reforming K-12 schools:
- Increase accountability so taxpayer funds support proven methods such as those based on the science of reading.
- Redirect federal education funding from federal administrators directly to families for access to tutoring or other literacy support.
- Provide parents with more information about school achievement in literacy so they can make informed choices about their children’s education.
- Allow federal resources to be used for early screening of learning needs like dyslexia.
- Give teachers better tools and strategies for classroom instruction.
Cassidy also highlights broader consequences linked to illiteracy, including higher high school dropout rates, increased incarceration rates, difficulties filling STEM jobs which could affect U.S economic competitiveness globally, and concerns about military preparedness.
The full report is available online.
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