Minnesota eighth graders’ reading achievement fell to record lows in 2024, with 29% of students failing to meet basic standards. This marks a significant increase from a decade ago when only 18% performed poorly. Conversely, the percentage of proficient eighth graders dropped to 28%, the lowest ever recorded. White children outperformed Black and Hispanic students, girls outperformed boys, and suburban districts performed better than urban or rural ones.
Education Minnesota emphasized that while Minnesota students scored higher than the national average, continued investment in the educator workforce is needed to improve academic achievement. Nationally, 34% of eighth graders are not meeting reading standards, a trend seen since 2019. Math performance is even worse, with 41% of students failing to meet benchmarks.
Factors contributing to declining scores include pandemic learning loss, chronic absenteeism, and increased screen time. Louisiana is a standout with improved fourth-grade reading scores due to a focus on phonics-based reading instruction. Governor Tim Walz faces challenges in addressing declining achievement, despite increased education funding and the adoption of a similar reading curriculum in Minnesota.
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