I love when you publish a piece that I have been writing in my head because it’s stuff that needs to be said. Thank you!
I’d add:
I think it’s unfair to compare these states to the national average without noting that all four Southern Surge states are in the bottom quintile for childhood poverty. They are achieving these gains in spite of those headwinds.
When you consider demographics, the picture gets even more impressive.
Louisiana 2nd in the nation and Mississippi is 4th for demographically-adjusted 8th grade reading performance, according to the Urban Institute.
I’m also seeing journalism that ignores these details, which is a bummer.
Great piece - it’s funny to me how this mirrors the issues in England. Doing great in PIRLS (9-10 year olds); not so much in PISA (15 yr olds). This was covered a bit in my piece on English phonics in The Bell Ringer on Friday.
"But if you care about whether school systems can systematically improve outcomes—especially for struggling readers—the 4th grade results may be the more actionable signal. That’s because early advantages (and disadvantages) can compound over time."
Whats the evidence that 4th grade test measures something that compounds over time, if it doesn't even present anything to 8th grade? I don't think ACT score have shown improvement either, though perhaps it's too early to tell.
I love when you publish a piece that I have been writing in my head because it’s stuff that needs to be said. Thank you!
I’d add:
I think it’s unfair to compare these states to the national average without noting that all four Southern Surge states are in the bottom quintile for childhood poverty. They are achieving these gains in spite of those headwinds.
When you consider demographics, the picture gets even more impressive.
Louisiana 2nd in the nation and Mississippi is 4th for demographically-adjusted 8th grade reading performance, according to the Urban Institute.
I’m also seeing journalism that ignores these details, which is a bummer.
Great piece - it’s funny to me how this mirrors the issues in England. Doing great in PIRLS (9-10 year olds); not so much in PISA (15 yr olds). This was covered a bit in my piece on English phonics in The Bell Ringer on Friday.
Thanks for showing the broader landscape as usual. What are the DoDEA doing I wonder?
"But if you care about whether school systems can systematically improve outcomes—especially for struggling readers—the 4th grade results may be the more actionable signal. That’s because early advantages (and disadvantages) can compound over time."
Whats the evidence that 4th grade test measures something that compounds over time, if it doesn't even present anything to 8th grade? I don't think ACT score have shown improvement either, though perhaps it's too early to tell.