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The editors at Top Education Degrees decided to research the topic of: Math is Hard, But Reading is Harder

Why math scores are higher than reading scores. Education is on everyone's mind. As a nation, we are often concerned with how our math scores compare to those of other countries. However, evidence suggests that the bigger concern should be our reading skills. Can you read this?

Troy Prep Middle School - Albany, NY (Charter school with mostly low-income students)

Teachers at Troy say it's easier to help students reach goals in math rather than in reading

Common finding throughout the nation

Fifth grade students are usually several years behind in both math and reading

2012: 100% of the 7th grade students had proficient or advanced scores in standardized math tests

Just over 50% met the same standards for reading

Similar results were found in 31 other schools in the district

These schools have many low-income students from NYC, Newark, Rochester and Boston

After attending these schools for 2 years

86% of students are proficient or advanced in math

Only 66% reach this level for reading

2011: 29% of low-income 8th graders showed proficient or advanced levels in standardized math tests

Only 17% showed the same levels in reading Why does income matter?

According to teachers, administrators and psychologists

One reason students struggle to improve reading comprehension is that deficits start at a very young age

1980's: psychologists, Betty Hart & Todd Risley found

By age 4, children from low-income families have heard 32m fewer words than children from higher income families

Many low-income students come from homes where English is not the spoken language

Over 10m US students are from immigrant households

1 out of every 5 public school students

78% do not speak English at home

Reading is much more ambiguous

Students with a disadvantaged vocabulary find it more difficult to catch up

Reading and comprehension require more abstract thought

Math has clearer rules which makes it easier to teach and to understand Look at the SAT. See the SAT scores drop.

2012: Reading scores for the SAT reached a four-decade low

Average reading scores = 496

Down by 34 points since 1972

Average writing scores = 488

Down by 9 points since 2006 (when that subject was first tested)

Math scores remain largely unchanged

The ability to answer questions about sentence structure, vocabulary and comprehension continues to decline for college-bound teens

Experts say the low SAT scores are related to the number of students taking the test

More than 1.6m students took the test last year

44% of students were from minority groups

1/4 of test takers are from low-income families

More than 1/4 were from families where English is not the spoken language

Scores dropped for every racial group except for Asian

Only 43% of test takers scored high enough to indicate likely success in college

Family income and test scores are definitely related

(on average) Scores increase with every $20k in additional family income Children are being left behind

Experts say Bush's No Child Left Behind law plays a major role in the decline of test scores

The law does not address barriers faced by many students

Low-income students are more likely to face

hunger

lack of health care

vocabulary deficiency

The law also narrows the curriculum for teachers

Teachers are required to try to teach within the limits of students who are at lower levels

The needs of some are not being met

The proficiency of others is not being expanded It may be time to reconsider the notion that "one-size-fits-all" isn't working in our schools. What do you think? Sources

- http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/education/reading-gains-lag-improvements-in-math.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

- http://www.cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population

- http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-09-24/local/35495510_1_scores-board-president-gaston-caperton-test-takers

- http://www.npr.org/2011/09/15/140513396/sat-reading-scores-reach-record-low



