Texas students in grades three through eight are still struggling with math and science in the wake of the pandemic, according to state standardized testing results released Friday. The percentage of students who met grade level in math dropped in all but sixth grade, which remained at 37 percent. But the percentage of students meeting grade level in reading remains above pre-pandemic levels. Mary Lynn Pruneda is senior policy advisor for public education issues at Texas 2036, an Austin-based think tank. She says we need to stop and think about why reading proficiency has improved.
"Why have we been able to recover in reading? Why are we doing worse in math, science and social studies than we were last year?"
She says the state has invested in data-driven resources to improve reading and a similar effort is needed for other subjects.
