Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Literacy

Polis Celebrates Education Gains But Healthcare Access, Crime And Budget Challenges Remain
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Celebrates Education Gains But Healthcare Access, Crime And Budget Challenges Remain

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Colorado officials said they have something to celebrate this week, in addition to the state’s sesquicentennial birthday on Saturday. U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday gave Colorado its top ranking for education efforts from pre-K to postsecondary, though it didn’t fare well in other areas, such as health access and crime. Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the announcement with a trip to the Farrell B. Howell ECE-8 School in east Denver.  U.S. News & World Report issued its annual best states rankings on Tuesday. Colorado earned its first place in education based on “increases in associate degree completion and attainment rates, as well as substantial growth in preschool enrollment enabled by the Colorado...
Colorado Third Grade Reading Scores Continue to Lag Despite Millions in Spending
Complete Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Third Grade Reading Scores Continue to Lag Despite Millions in Spending

By: Mike Krause | Complete Colorado In a recent episode of Independence Institute’s Learning Curve education podcast, Erin Brantley and Ross Izard look at Mississippi’s dramatic improvement in public school reading achievement and whether Colorado can apply similar strategies to boost literacy outcomes through the state’s READ Act. Mississippi shot from 49th nationally in fourth-grade reading proficiency in 2013 to ninth in 2024. The hosts credit much of that success to the state’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act, combining science-based reading instruction, early identification of struggling readers, targeted interventions, and, when necessary, requiring students who fall short of  reading benchmarks to repeat third grade before advancing. READ THE FULL AR...
“Devastating trend”: High school seniors hit record-low reading levels
Daily Wire, Approved, National

“Devastating trend”: High school seniors hit record-low reading levels

By Leif Le Mahieu | Daily Wire "The achievement gap between students is widening, not shrinking." The Trump administration renewed its push to return control of education to the states after new data revealed continued declines in the reading, math, and science scores of high school seniors nationwide. The National Center for Education Statistics released the “Nation’s Report Card” for 12th-grade students on Tuesday, finding that reading levels had reached new lows and math scores were the worst in 20 years. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said that the numbers confirmed a “devastating trend” of American students testing at “historic lows.” “Despite billions in federal spending and countless well-intentioned programs, the achievement gap between students is widen...