Commentary “‘Mississippi miracle’: Kids’ reading scores have soared in Gulf South states,” AP just reported. It noted educators in other states with low test scores no longer can say, “Thank God for Mississippi.” That’s a cliché also in California, where journalists are wont to say of low test scores, “California is nearly as bad as…

Commentary “‘Mississippi miracle’: Kids’ reading scores have soared in Gulf South states,” AP just reported. It noted educators in other states with low test scores no longer can say, “Thank God for Mississippi.” That’s a cliché also in California, where journalists are wont to say of low test scores, “California is nearly as bad as…

Three states in the Deep South—Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana—have seen major improvements in student reading scores after the state legislatures changed educational policies. Mississippi saw the biggest ranking change in terms of fourth grade reading, jumping from the second-worst state in the country in 2013 to the 21st spot in 2022, The Associated Press reported….

Commentary A big issue that has emerged in the final days of the midterm election campaigns is the lockdowns of our schools and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The public saw with the abysmal test scores of our children the severe and lasting damage done. Voters are angry, and they should be. Lockdowns were a…

Commentary In a predictable, yet nonetheless shocking outcome, the latest scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) record the biggest decline in math in three decades. In mathematics, eighth grade students’ NAEP scores dropped eight points from 2019 to 2022, according to results released Monday. Just 26 percent of eighth graders now perform math proficiently, down from 33…

Historic setbacks in academic progress during the pandemic. We take a look at the United States’ first report card since 2019. Rishi Sunak is officially the United Kingdom’s new prime minister. We explore his ties to China and how they may affect the country’s China policies. The market reacts to Xi Jinping getting a third…

Student achievement declines: fourth-grade reading and math scores had the biggest drop in decades during the pandemic. What could it mean for the U.S. economy? California telling residents not to charge their electric cars, as the state’s power grids come under pressure amid a heatwave. The U.S. bans certain cutting-edge microchips from being sold to China. It’s…

Student achievement declines: fourth-grade reading and math scores had the biggest drop in decades during the pandemic. What could it mean for the U.S. economy? California is telling residents not to charge their electric cars, as the state’s power grids come under pressure amid a heat wave. The United States bans certain cutting-edge microchips from being sold…