American Students Fall Behind in Education

The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress — often called the “Nation’s Report Card” — show that American students are still struggling. Scores are flat or falling, and many low-performing students are continuing to fall behind.

But not all the news is bad. Some states and schools have managed to sail through the challenges of recent years. For example, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana have made real progress, showing that improvement is possible when schools stick with evidence-based methods.

At Success Academy in New York City, more than 80% of students are at or above grade level in reading. Many of these students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, proving that structured teaching and high expectations work. Their success will even count towards better graduation rates in the future.

Steubenville, Ohio, is another example. For 25 years, the district has focused on a phonics-based model of teaching reading. Because teachers never abandoned what worked, almost every child learns to read fluently by the third grade. When visitors come across this small town’s results, they are often surprised — but also impressed.

Experts warn against abandoning good programs just because a new leader wants a fresh idea. Too often, reforms are scrapped, and children scrape through school with weak literacy skills. Policies like NYC Reads may face political pressure, but leaders should see them count against impatience and instead stay committed.

The lesson is clear: if schools focus on proven methods and stay consistent, students can major in success — not failure.

📖 Vocabulary List with Practice

1. sail through

• Definition: To do something very easily or successfully.

• Example: Some states managed to sail through recent challenges in education.

• Practice Q: Can you think of a subject at school that you could sail through without much effort?

2. major in

• Definition: To study something as your main subject at university.

• Example: With strong reading skills, students can later major in any subject they choose.

• Practice Q: If you could major in any subject at university, what would it be?

3. count towards

• Definition: To be included as part of progress or achievement.

• Example: Good reading scores will count towards higher graduation rates.

• Practice Q: Which activities in school should count towards final grades?

4. count against

• Definition: To have a negative effect on someone.

• Example: Impatience and politics can count against good education reforms.

• Practice Q: Do you think being late often should count against a student’s grade? Why?

5. fall behind

• Definition: To make less progress than others.

• Example: Many low-performing students continue to fall behind.

• Practice Q: What happens to a student if they fall behind in reading early on?

6. scrape through

• Definition: To only just succeed, often with difficulty.

• Example: Some children only scrape through school with poor literacy.

• Practice Q: Can you think of a time when you managed to scrape through a test or challenge?

7. come across

• Definition: To find or discover something by chance.

• Example: Visitors often come across surprising results in Steubenville schools.

• Practice Q: What’s the most interesting fact you’ve ever come across while reading or watching something?