The crisis of students being unable to read is a measurable, generational collapse in literacy that extends from elementary students lacking phonics to high schoolers who cannot comprehend complex texts. 40% of fourth graders cannot read proficiently, and 32% of twelfth graders scored below Basic on the 2024 NAEP reading assessment, the lowest level since the test began in 1992. Key factors contributing to this decline include: Neurological Impact of Technology: The mere presence of smartphones reduces working memory and fluid intelligence, while reading on screens suppresses comprehension-related neural activity compared to paper reading. Reliance on AI: Early use of … [Read more...]
Common Cores impact on K-12 education in Washington State – The Truth
Common Core has been the law of the land (k-12 education) for well over a decade now. We asked Gemini AI to go into it's "Expert" Mode and answer the question: as an expert common core how has damaged k-12 education? After extensive research the answer is shown below. Please note that near the end of the article OSPI has changed the reporting rules...they lowered them to try and give the impression scores have gotten better...they have NOT! OSPI is lying and misleading. They claim to have dropped Common Core but have really renamed/rebranded. A pig with lipstick is still a pig. The perspective that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have significantly damaged K-12 education is … [Read more...]
“Stupid In America” Turns 20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/stupid-america-turns-20 Tylder Durden writes.... In January 2006, ABC’s John Stossel’s brutally honest documentary, “Stupid in America,” first aired. At the time, he referred to it as “a nasty title for a program about public education, but some nasty things are going on in America’s public schools, and it’s about time we face up to it.” Stossel exposed the ineffectiveness of many government-run schools. But now, 20 years later, things are even worse. Test scores from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), released this year, show that 33% of 8th graders—a higher percentage than ever—are reading at the “below basic” … [Read more...]
Test Scores Plummet for Low-Income Students as Woke Agenda Ruins U.S. Schools – “Five Alarm Fire”
The Gateway Pundit shares this article. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/test-scores-plummet-low-income-students-as-woke/ Summary Pts (if you don't want to read the whole article): Test scores started falling in 2013...long before Covid Poor, disadvantaged kids and working-class students are being hurt the most Radical progressive dogma is the root cause Since 2013, public schools have been rapidly reengineered to prioritize equity over excellence, activism over academics, and “lived experience” over logic and literacy. Phonics and factual history have been replaced by feelings, narratives, and DEI training sessions. The shift from teaching core subjects to … [Read more...]
National and WA State 8th and 4th grade test results
Brought to you by the good people at Edunomics A timely update from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown’s McCourt School. Today’s NAEP scores provide a reckoning of sorts. In contrast to each state’s annual assessments, the NAEP enables a comparison of student learning across states and over time. These last two years in public education have been unlike any before. Students were emerging from deep pandemic-era learning losses just as $190B in relief funds began to rain down on schools. Now for the truth bomb: In states like KY, LA, MS, TN, and WV that answer is yes. Students in these states saw real (even if modest) score gains … [Read more...]
$190 billion in Fed Ed funds did what?
During the Covid debacle some $190 billion in relief funds rained down on public schools. See that the results are....then go get your favorite adult beverage and take a shot. This article can be found at: Edunomics Take a moment and look at Washiongton State...spending up 2x and test scores in freefall. More money is NOT the answer. A timely update from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown’s McCourt School. Today’s NAEP scores provide a reckoning of sorts. In contrast to each state’s annual assessments, the NAEP enables a comparison of student learning across states and over time. These last two years in public education have been unlike … [Read more...]
Inside America’s Education Revolution
From the Free Press. It's a 2 minute read. Many of the greatest American success stories started in a public school classroom. Presidents like Harry Truman, LBJ, and Ronald Reagan. Legal giants like Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Michael Bloomberg, and Steve Jobs. But is our school system the great engine of meritocracy it once was? Consider the following: Two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders aren’t proficient in reading, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a.k.a. “The Nation’s Report Card.” Absenteeism nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023. Between 2018 and 2023, … [Read more...]
Cell-Phone Free Classrooms Will Unleash Student Success?
The original article was published at Real Clear Wire Amid the many battles over how to improve American schools, it’s often forgotten that what’s taught in the classroom is but one component of ensuring that students receive a high-quality education; it’s also important to remove barriers to children’s learning. And the idea to remove one major impediment – cell phones in K-12 schools – has gained significant traction over the past year, most recently in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In July, Gov. Glenn Youngkin released an executive order addressing cell phones in K-12 classrooms – directing state officials to work with stakeholders such as parents, students, teachers, and … [Read more...]
Study: Historic Drop in U.S. Reading and Math Scores Since Common Core ‘Debacle’
When we started this blog nearly 4 1/2 years ago our first focus was on Common Core. Indeed, we have run over 220 articles on the subject: https://swweducation.org?cat=61 Today we bring you a new study that, again, shows conclusively, that Common Core has been an unmitigated disaster by harming the education of our children while running up billions of dollars in expenses. This study was published at the Pioneer Institute on April 27, 2020: https://pioneerinstitute.org/academic-standards/study-finds-historic-drop-in-national-reading-and-math-scores-since-adoption-of-common-core-curriculum-standards/ What does the study bring to light? The pdf version of the study can be downloaded at … [Read more...]
Study: Obama’s Common Core ‘Worst Large-Scale Educational Failure in 40 Years’?
In an article at a site called Neon Nettle they share information from a study.The gist of the studies findings? "Researchers, who conducted a study into the impact of former President Obama's Common Core State Standards on schools, declared the teaching practices to be "worst large-scale educational failure in 40 years." For your reading pleasure here's the article: The study examined the effects of Common Core on school choice and found the Obama-era K-12 educational reform demonstrated sharp drops in academic performance. Ted Rebarber of AccountabilityWorks co-authored the study with Cato Institute’s Neal McCluskey, who previously led another study, titled … [Read more...]