The time is now to reform the nation’s K-12 education system to make it pro-family and pro-student, especially in the area of literacy, according to a new report released Friday by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which is chaired by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
“Improving student literacy is a crucial step in fixing our broken K-12 education system,” Sen. Cassidy said. “It will be an all-hands-on-deck endeavor.”
The report, Preventing A Lost Generation: A Vision For K-12 Reforms To Ensure Student Success, outlines ways to improve child literacy, according to Sen. Cassidy.
Reading scores among 4th and 8th graders declined two points from 2022, and five points from 2019 pre-pandemic levels, while the percent of students performing “below basic” in reading is at its highest point ever for 8th grade and highest point since 2000 for 4th grade, according to data cited by Sen. Cassidy in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress report released in January.
“Teaching students how to read effectively should be the top priority of America’s K-12 education system,” Sen. Cassidy said. “The challenges in achieving this points to a deeper problem: an education system that for too long has accepted a status quo that fails our children.”
The lawmaker, who is also a medical doctor, pointed out that every student is unique and has different learning needs.
“In medicine, we used to treat all people with cancer in the same manner with limited results. Now, we have specialized care for each type of cancer, dramatically improving patient outcomes,” he said. “We need the same approach with improving literacy.”
The report underscores the effects of illiteracy, including increasing rates of high school incompletion and incarceration. It also impacts the nation’s ability to fill STEM jobs, raising serious concerns about global economic competitiveness and military preparedness, added the senator.
The 10-page report also makes recommendations, including to strengthen accountability to ensure taxpayer dollars support proven methods that effectively teach kids how to read, and moving federal education dollars from unelected Washington bureaucrats directly to families so they can access tutoring and other literacy support programs.
Additionally, parents should be empowered with information about school achievement in literacy so they can choose the best education option for their children, according to a statement released Friday by Sen. Cassidy.
“Parents’ rights must be protected. They must have a seat at the table and be equipped with the information necessary to ensure their child’s needs are met,” Sen. Cassidy said. “Schools putting barriers between parents and their kids should not be tolerated.”
The report also says that federal resources should be used for early-detection screening for learning needs that cause students to struggle with literacy, and teachers should be equipped with the tools and strategies to best teach children in the classroom.