Alison Mincey Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer | School of Education and Human Development News & Events University of Miami
Recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates a concerning decline in reading and math scores for fourth and eighth-grade students across the United States. The scores, considered a benchmark for student achievement, have fallen to levels not seen in decades. In Florida, fourth-grade reading scores have dropped to their lowest since 2003, and although fourth-grade math scores have started to recover from a decline following the COVID-19 pandemic, they remain lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Mary Beth Calhoon, associate professor of special education at the University of Miami, commented, "The scores are like the canary in the coal mine for our educational system." She identified the widespread move to remote learning during the pandemic as a key disruptor, alongside a lack of phonics instruction beyond the third grade. Calhoon argued, "Understanding the sounds letters make and how letters influence each other to make sounds is fundamental to all aspects of reading."
She further highlighted the impact of modern reading habits shaped by social media and short-form content, which do not prepare students for the extensive focus required in standardized reading tests. "We are not requiring our children to read like we used to, yet expect them to sit through a 45-minute reading test and answer question after question to measure their reading comprehension," Calhoon stated.
Walter Secada, a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, noted ongoing recovery in Florida's math scores since their dip from 2019 to 2022. He remains optimistic, hoping that this improvement will continue, while acknowledging disparities between different student demographics. "Higher achieving students fared better than low performing students," Secada said, pointing to factors such as teacher quality and parental involvement as potential influences on achievement.
Secada also emphasized the need for research to understand the gap between high and low achievers and urged the consideration of broader external factors such as natural disasters on the educational system. Commenting on regional discrepancies, he noted, "If you look at Miami-Dade County and at Hillsborough County scores in math, you see that Miami-Dade County bounced back with the scores, but Hillsborough did not."
To address these challenges, Calhoon recommended prioritizing fundamental skills within school curriculums. "Teachers are expected to do everything, and there is so much to teach that certain fundamentals are not being reinforced," she said, underscoring the critical need for a focused approach to improving core reading and math competencies.
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