LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A recent study released by The Education Trust-Midwest revealed that Michigan continues to slide in its national education ratings, and argues that the state needs better transparency regarding its COVID-19 relief funding.
The report found that Michigan was ranked 10th and 11th positions for worst state for low income student performance in 4th grade reading based on certain demographics.
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Despite a school aid fund balance of $3.1 billion as of October 2022, the report said that more than $2 billion of that is one-time money that could be spent on recovery.
“Additionally, Michigan school districts received more than $3.7 billion federal American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief dollars (ARP ESSER) which must be spent by 2024,” the “Beyond the Pandemic” report said.
Some of the major findings in the report, found that student populations of several demographics dropped further from previous years:
• Michigan fell from 32nd in 2019 to 43rd in fourth-grade reading — an important predictor of a child’s future academic success and life outcomes — on the 2022 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP).
• The state also lagged behind leading states for eighth-grade math in 2022, ranking 26th nationally on the NAEP.
• Michigan ranked in the bottom five states for eighth-grade math performance among Black students in 2022.
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• For students from low-income backgrounds, Michigan ranked as the 11th-worst state or No. 39 in 4th grade reading.
• For Black student performance, Michigan dropped into the bottom five states for fourth-grade reading in 2022, down from being ranked in the bottom 10 in 2019.
Among the many findings from the previous year, the report also conveys the Education Trust’s projections for the state’s educational performance through 2030 – if it continues on its current path – forecasting worse performance levels.
“We now project that, by 2030, Michigan will remain stagnant at 43rd for 4th grade reading and drop even further to 29th for 8th grade math,” the report said.
However, the Michigan based education advocacy group does not offer the findings without some proposed solutions. To address many of the learning challenges that the pandemic provided and those that students still face, the group proposed “Targeted intensive tutoring,” also referred to as high dosage tutoring. The practice entails “one tutor meeting regularly with students in groups of one or two for an extended period.”
The state must act urgently according to Executive Director of The Education Trust-Midwest Amber Arellano.
“By implementing research-based strategies for learning starting in early childhood and creating a fair system of school funding so all students have the resources and support they need to succeed, we can change the trajectory for our students, support educational recovery and acceleration for all Michigan students, and truly make Michigan a Top 10 state for education,” Arellano said.
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