
More than half of fourth graders nationwide have not mastered reading at a proficient level for their grade, and the share of students considered proficient is now 2 percentage points lower than two years earlier, new data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows. “The data shows that the majority of the nation’s school systems have failed to master effective reading instruction, ignoring not only how it should be taught (e.g., proven science) but also the importance of engaging students with rich content and literature that stimulates the mind...