A new report gives Michigan failing grades for student academic progress.
During the last decade, Michigan’s fourth-graders lost ground in math and reading, according to a new report out today from Education Trust-Midwest.
Amber Arellano is with the trust. She says Michigan now ranks among the bottom five states in student academic progress.
She says the state must raise the bar for students and teachers.
“None of the states we’ve studied have been able to make big advancements for students without raising their standards and expectations for learning,” says Arellano.
She says there are certain things the state must do now to address the problem.
“Teachers really matter. We have to value them and we need to invest in them,” says Arellano.
The group points to states like Massachusetts and Tennessee that made investments in K-12 education and pushed for higher standards. Those states saw significant improvements in student academic progress within just a few years.
The group recommends legislators commit to using a substantial part of the state’s $1 billion surplus this year on K-12 education.
