Washington's flat test scores suggest refocusing is needed

STAGNANT reading scores of Washington's fourth- and eighth-grade students, highlighted by a national assessment, are troubling.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) offers a reliable yardstick of student achievement nationwide. Current measurements show many students are not on track for high school graduation and success in college or employment.

Washington is not an anomaly. Out of 50 states, seven showed change and that included sharp declines for four.

Some instructive news came from the results. Low-income eighth-graders in Washington outscored their counterparts around the nation. And more Washington students with learning disabilities or those learning English took the NAEP test. The inclusion of these students yields results more representative of America's educational system. However, their lackluster results show these students are not getting the education they need.

Boys' reading scores improved some, bringing them closer to the level of girls. And gains for minority students rose slightly with smaller gains made by white students. Even with the slight upticks, significant achievement gaps remain in all areas of education.

Contrast NAEP's reading results with the organization's last report card on math and a troubling dilemma appears: The same students making gains in math are stalling in reading.

Educators cannot say why. But here's what we do know. Reading is fundamental. A student who cannot read cannot perform well in math, science or history. NAEP results underscore the unmet challenge of moving students from a basic reading level to proficient and advanced.

Time to renew, and sustain, reading efforts. Also needed is consensus around reading curriculum and textbooks, as is being done with math.