Exercise your reading skills by reading the article here: [America Is Sliding Toward Illiteracy – The Atlantic](https://archive.ph/TVewa)
However, I know a lot of us won’t (maybe due to poor literacy haha), so here’s some key points for you to pop off a hot take:
Despite:
* Average American per-student education spending hitting record highs (yes, before you ask, this figure is inflation adjusted)
* The Biden administration injecting $190 billion one time into primary and secondary education in the American Rescue Plan
* The Repeal of No Child Left Behind in 2015
* Record high grades (56 of students are getting “As” in English class)
* Record high graduation rates (87% high school graduation rates)
We see:
* Reading performance peaked in 2013
* This year 33% of 8th graders and 40% of 4th graders read at a “below basic” level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), worst result since 1992
* Average ACT scores are at a record low of 19.4, lowest since the test was redesigned in 1990
* The reading performance of the bottom 10th of 13 year old are the lowest since 1971
* Reading performance declined in 46 out of 50 states between 2013 – 2024, only Mississippi and Louisiana meaningfully improved reading scores
Author’s theories for causes of decline:
* Widespread smartphone usage
* No Child Left Behind forced states to focus on low performing schools, when it was repealed, the responsibility fell back to the states, many of which didn’t do much to improve low performing schools
* Grade inflation and easy graduation reduces the incentive for low performing students to actually improve their skills
* 40% of middle school teachers teach in schools with no late penalties, no zeros for missed work, and unlimited test redos
mythic_banjo on
I think we were “sliding toward” it thirty years ago. I would be more comfortable saying we’re currently being strangled by it.
southernfirm on
What do you expect? Dad doesn’t read, and 80% of what mom reads is likely smut. Why would kids suddenly improve their reading, if no one else is doing it.
Most people I know who are “readers” smirk at the books I read.
celtic1888 on
WTF!?🤬
Nah… ❌❌, fam 🥰
And apparently we’ve lost irony in the comments along with it
EdHistory101 on
It’s another entry in the “I have a theory and will collect evidence to support it” genre of writing about schools. The list of such pieces is very, very long.
NestedForLoops on
Anyone who’s been to reddit could’ve told you that.
Snarky_McSnarkleton on
In a few more years, being able to read only enough for work will be a virtue signal.
But hey. Dear Leader loves the poorly educated, bigly.
Another_Road on
54% of Americans read at a 6th grade or lower level.
So over half the population aren’t going to be understanding symbolism, author bias or anything else beside the literal meaning of the text, if they even get that much.
8 Comments
Exercise your reading skills by reading the article here: [America Is Sliding Toward Illiteracy – The Atlantic](https://archive.ph/TVewa)
However, I know a lot of us won’t (maybe due to poor literacy haha), so here’s some key points for you to pop off a hot take:
Despite:
* Average American per-student education spending hitting record highs (yes, before you ask, this figure is inflation adjusted)
* The Biden administration injecting $190 billion one time into primary and secondary education in the American Rescue Plan
* The Repeal of No Child Left Behind in 2015
* Record high grades (56 of students are getting “As” in English class)
* Record high graduation rates (87% high school graduation rates)
We see:
* Reading performance peaked in 2013
* This year 33% of 8th graders and 40% of 4th graders read at a “below basic” level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), worst result since 1992
* Average ACT scores are at a record low of 19.4, lowest since the test was redesigned in 1990
* The reading performance of the bottom 10th of 13 year old are the lowest since 1971
* Reading performance declined in 46 out of 50 states between 2013 – 2024, only Mississippi and Louisiana meaningfully improved reading scores
Author’s theories for causes of decline:
* Widespread smartphone usage
* No Child Left Behind forced states to focus on low performing schools, when it was repealed, the responsibility fell back to the states, many of which didn’t do much to improve low performing schools
* Grade inflation and easy graduation reduces the incentive for low performing students to actually improve their skills
* 40% of middle school teachers teach in schools with no late penalties, no zeros for missed work, and unlimited test redos
I think we were “sliding toward” it thirty years ago. I would be more comfortable saying we’re currently being strangled by it.
What do you expect? Dad doesn’t read, and 80% of what mom reads is likely smut. Why would kids suddenly improve their reading, if no one else is doing it.
Most people I know who are “readers” smirk at the books I read.
WTF!?🤬
Nah… ❌❌, fam 🥰
And apparently we’ve lost irony in the comments along with it
It’s another entry in the “I have a theory and will collect evidence to support it” genre of writing about schools. The list of such pieces is very, very long.
Anyone who’s been to reddit could’ve told you that.
In a few more years, being able to read only enough for work will be a virtue signal.
But hey. Dear Leader loves the poorly educated, bigly.
54% of Americans read at a 6th grade or lower level.
So over half the population aren’t going to be understanding symbolism, author bias or anything else beside the literal meaning of the text, if they even get that much.