The latest NAEP report is a somber reminder that too many of America’s students are falling behind in reading. Studies show a strong correlation between elementary school reading proficiency and high school dropout rates, including research concluding that students who are not proficient readers by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.
Maryland faces these challenges like many other states, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Under the leadership of Superintendent Carey Wright, who was
instrumental in the remarkable success known as the “Mississippi Miracle,” Maryland is well-positioned to improve literacy outcomes. In Mississippi, targeted Science of Reading practices and teacher training led to some of the nation’s most dramatic reading gains. Maryland now has the opportunity to replicate that success and build on its foundation.
Effective solutions to improve students’ reading skills exist, but they aren’t being implemented at a large enough scale to meaningfully impact overall performance. High-quality instruction aligned with the Science of Reading has been proven to make a difference. Like Mississippi, Louisiana is primed for promising results in reading proficiency by embracing Science of Reading-based practices and investing in teacher training. Maryland is beginning to lay the groundwork for similar progress, but scalable solutions that extend beyond the classroom will be key.
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