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FLORIDA - Recent data indicates that Florida's public school students have experienced significant declines in reading and mathematics performance since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the nation's report card, reveals that the state's reading and math scores have reached their lowest levels in two decades.
Eighth-grade students, in particular, demonstrated poor performance on the national math test, with middle school reading scores also showing substantial decreases.
These findings align with national trends, as the latest NAEP results indicate that U.S. children have continued to lose ground in reading skills and have made little improvement in math post-pandemic.
In response to these results, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. has expressed concerns regarding the methodology employed by NAEP to record the findings.
In a letter to the U.S. Department of Education, Commissioner Diaz questioned the assessment's approach, suggesting that it may not fully capture the progress students have made.
Despite the overall decline, there is a positive note: Florida's fourth-grade reading scores continue to surpass the national average.
This suggests that early literacy initiatives may be yielding beneficial outcomes.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, designated as an "A" district, also acknowledged the troubling data.
These developments underscore the challenges that Florida's education system faces in recovering from the disruptions caused by the pandemic.