Anonymous
02/25/2026 19:26
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Going back to phonics was a good move.
Lower COL overall means they are attractive places for good teachers and they can afford more aids.
But holding back for the "third-grade gate" does boost 4th-grade NAEP scores.
Lower COL overall means they are attractive places for good teachers and they can afford more aids.
But holding back for the "third-grade gate" does boost 4th-grade NAEP scores.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 19:15
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
I've had two Marylanders with high school degrees who worked for me that were illiterate. It was embarrassing.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 19:13
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much of this could have to do with quickly getting kids back into school in person during Covid?
Unrelated to that.
It was the use of literacy curricula that do not work to teach reading. See the "Sold a story" podcast.
Nah, in many southern areas kids were only out of school for 6 weeks during covid.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 19:07
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
The covid drop is a drop in the bucket considering the abysmal score level in the good old days.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 19:04
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
This report is just a fancy way of saying that cost of living / purchasing power parity is lower in some states than others?
You can stir "adjustments" anyway you want to paint different results.
Where are the direct in-demographic state-to-state comparisons?
You can stir "adjustments" anyway you want to paint different results.
Where are the direct in-demographic state-to-state comparisons?
Anonymous
02/25/2026 18:57
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Anonymous wrote:I thought they held the kids back who can’t read in some of those states. Those kids who can’t read aren’t part of the data because they are held back. Kinda simple to understand that would make the data look better since it is only the kids who are reading who are counted!
Yup. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 18:48
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Anonymous wrote:Shocking red doing better than blue on education.
Equity will always lower the bar.
Equal opportunity and discipline offer the ability to raise the bar.
Um, equity is the same thing as equal opportunity…. But not if you are used to extra opportunity.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 18:48
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
I thought they held the kids back who can’t read in some of those states. Those kids who can’t read aren’t part of the data because they are held back. Kinda simple to understand that would make the data look better since it is only the kids who are reading who are counted!
Anonymous
02/19/2026 19:42
Subject: Re:Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
If every state did that they would be back on the bottom next to New Mexico.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 15:30
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much of this could have to do with quickly getting kids back into school in person during Covid?
Unrelated to that.
It was the use of literacy curricula that do not work to teach reading. See the "Sold a story" podcast.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 13:03
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
I wonder how much of this could have to do with quickly getting kids back into school in person during Covid?
Anonymous
02/17/2026 09:44
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Anonymous wrote:Virginia passed a "Science of Reading" law a year or two ago that was modeled on the Mississippi Miracle.
At least FCPS and APS already have switched to literacy curricula that are approved under that law. All public schools in the Commonwealth are required to make that curriculum change. APS moved to CKLA, which is the one I happen to prefer. FCPS moved to Benchmark.
I am not clear on what is happening in DC or MD overall. Posters here have reported that MCPS recently dumped the Benchmark curriculum and moved to the same CKLA that APS uses.
It likely will take about 4 years from start of any literacy curriculum change for NAEP 4th grade test scores to reflect the new curriculum.
Thanks for the update. It’s great to hear and this should be a bipartisan issue all can rally around.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 03:08
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Virginia passed a "Science of Reading" law a year or two ago that was modeled on the Mississippi Miracle.
At least FCPS and APS already have switched to literacy curricula that are approved under that law. All public schools in the Commonwealth are required to make that curriculum change. APS moved to CKLA, which is the one I happen to prefer. FCPS moved to Benchmark.
I am not clear on what is happening in DC or MD overall. Posters here have reported that MCPS recently dumped the Benchmark curriculum and moved to the same CKLA that APS uses.
It likely will take about 4 years from start of any literacy curriculum change for NAEP 4th grade test scores to reflect the new curriculum.
At least FCPS and APS already have switched to literacy curricula that are approved under that law. All public schools in the Commonwealth are required to make that curriculum change. APS moved to CKLA, which is the one I happen to prefer. FCPS moved to Benchmark.
I am not clear on what is happening in DC or MD overall. Posters here have reported that MCPS recently dumped the Benchmark curriculum and moved to the same CKLA that APS uses.
It likely will take about 4 years from start of any literacy curriculum change for NAEP 4th grade test scores to reflect the new curriculum.
Anonymous
02/16/2026 07:41
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
Shocking red doing better than blue on education.
Equity will always lower the bar.
Equal opportunity and discipline offer the ability to raise the bar.
Equity will always lower the bar.
Equal opportunity and discipline offer the ability to raise the bar.
Anonymous
02/14/2026 08:42
Subject: Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana do better on math and reading in 4th and 8th grade tests than MD and VA
When comparing students that are similar to each other (FARMS, race and ethnicity, ELL and special education status) Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana all do better than Maryland and Virginia on the NAEP test.
When will our school districts wake up and realize they are failing our kids and can't keep blaming bad parenting and poverty for their failures?
https://www.urban.org/research/publication/states-demographically-adjusted-performance-2024-national-assessment
When will our school districts wake up and realize they are failing our kids and can't keep blaming bad parenting and poverty for their failures?
https://www.urban.org/research/publication/states-demographically-adjusted-performance-2024-national-assessment