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Happy Friday! Reema Amin here from Chalkbeat Chicago.
You’ve heard a lot about drops in reading and math test scores after the pandemic. Since then, a lot of districts, including Chicago, have gained back some important ground.
Still, American schools are not seeing the sort of scores they were a decade ago, according to one Harvard researcher who has closely tracked test scores for years. That researcher has seen some interesting trends: The highest and lowest poverty districts are recovering fastest, and it’s unclear if science-of-reading laws are making a difference. But why? This researcher isn’t exactly sure, my colleague Matt Barnum reports.
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Around Chalkbeat
Tom Kane has tracked years of U.S. test scores. Here’s what he’s learned — and still can’t explain.
Mamdani launches NYC elementary school math curriculum overhaul, following in Adams’ footsteps
Newark Public Schools’ enrollment falls slightly for the first time since 2019
What We’re Reading
Chicago Teachers Union political director running for school board president, Chicago Tribune (Paywall)
Thumbnail image by Andrea Morales for Chalkbeat.

