Reading scores for South Dakota’s fourth graders have gone down slightly over the last ten years, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The results also show that lower-income students are falling further behind. Carole Cochran, director of South Dakota Kids Count, says these declining scores are not good news for students – in school or in life

 

The report says 68 percent of South Dakota fourth-graders were not proficient in reading in 2013, compared to 67 percent in 2003 – not a large change, but an indication of an overall lack of progress. The report compared scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, used in schools across the country.

Despite all the attention paid to the education kids get in school, Cochran says reading fundamentals can be taught at home too.

 

The report also found the gap between lower-income and higher-income students continues to widen. That gap has grown by 20 percent since 2003. To Cochran, it shows that more investment is needed in younger children.

 

Cochran notes while are multiple paths to success in life, they all need a strong foundation, which starts with being able to read.