FAILING: Majority Of 8th Graders In Public Schools Are Not Proficient In Math, Reading

A new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that approximately two-thirds of eighth graders in American public schools were not proficient in reading and math last year.

The report, released by the U.S. Department of Education, revealed that 65% of eighth graders in public schools were not proficient in reading and 67% were not proficient in math. The report also revealed that the results were significantly worse in urban districts. CNS News reports:

Only 5 percent of Detroit public-school eighth graders were proficient or better in math. Only 7 percent were proficient or better in reading.

In the Cleveland public schools, only 11 percent of eight graders were proficient or better in math and only 10 percent were proficient or better in reading.

In the Baltimore public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 13 percent were proficient or better in reading.

CNS News notes that the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) describes proficiency in math for eighth graders as being able to “understand the connections between fractions, percents, decimals, and other mathematical topics such as algebra and functions. Students at this level are expected to have a thorough understanding of Basic level arithmetic operations—an understanding sufficient for problem-solving in practical situations.”

The NCES defines proficiency in reading for eighth graders as being able to “provide relevant information and summarize main ideas and themes. They should be able to make and support inferences about a text, connect parts of a text, and analyze text features. Students performing at this level should also be able to fully substantiate judgments about content and presentation of content.”