Data compiled by Isabella Kunc from Minnesota Compass

A growing crisis is evident: declining literacy rates. According to the Minnesota Compass, 57.2% of third graders achieved reading standards in 2013, compared to only 47.4% in 2023, as measured by the MCAs. In Mounds View Public Schools specifically, only 50.8% of 3rd graders reached these standards in 2023, ranking the district at 121 out of 326 in the state.

From basic grammar rules to comprehending texts, several English teachers have reported that they’ve had to teach things they previously did not. “I find that I have to teach basic comprehension skills in a way that I never used to have to because I think kids don’t read nearly as much as they used to,” said Rebecca Hauth-Schmidt, Mounds View High School English teacher. 

The pandemic contributed to a sharp decrease in literacy rates between 2019 to 2021, as students could not receive an education of the same rigor or with the same level of support. Distance and hybrid learning also significantly hurt students who did not have access to resources at home, which increased disparities in literacy development. 

However, literacy rates and general reading and writing abilities have steadily declined for far longer. In this spread, we explore the reasons for these trends — whether that be a distaste towards reading or a clash between teachers and school board members — as well as what disparities and solutions exist. 

“Minnesota schools are worst in the nation for our children of color” reads billboards across Minnesota highways. Sponsored by the Ciresi Walburn Foundation, the advert was prompted by large disparities in graduation rates and literacy rates between white students and students of color. In 2019, according to the Minnesota Report Card, the difference in reading scores between white and Black students was 40 percentage points, with over 70% of Black students falling short of reading proficiency. 

Historically, literacy disparities between white students and students of color were attributed to gaps in access to education. From the end of the Civil War to desegregation in the 1960s, Black schools were in session fewer days per week and received far less funding than white schools. 

Desegregation had profound impacts for Black students. National Assessment of Educational Progress reading scores increased dramatically for Black students in the decades following desegregation policies. Black enrollment increased as well. Yet Black students still trailed behind white students.

Today, some studies, including research from the American Educational Research Association, suggest that most indicators of student achievement, such as teacher education and experience, per-pupil expenditures and teacher-pupil ratio, are nearly equal among predominantly white and Black schools. 

But even if this is the case — which it may not be, as other studies have disputed this assertion — it ignores the fact that so-called “universal” measures like per-pupil spending are not necessarily equitably distributed. At predominantly white schools, money may be spent on new lab equipment or books, while at majority-minority schools, money is more likely to be spent on special and remedial education and teacher retention initiatives — teacher turnover is highest in schools with at least 35% minority students. This lack of investment in tangible resources in these schools, students who start out with fewer resources and have greater needs outside the classroom continue to fall behind their more well-off peers.

In 2022, the Ciresi Walburn Foundation unveiled their latest billboard campaign: “40% of white kids in MN can’t read either (at grade level).” And while the issue of declining reading proficiency affects all students, it seems necessary to understand why and address the fact that some students are trailing behind others.

Data compiled by Isabella Kunc from the Pew Research Center

You may have seen the stereotypical iPad kid with their eyes happily glued to their screen or a flustered mother handing their tantrum-throwing child an iPad to get them to be quiet for one second. Gone are the days when kids would be regularly poring over novels or book series in a matter of days. 

Although it is easy to blame teachers for declining literacy rates, several factors at home also contribute to the problem. The advent of electronic devices has made reading less popular than before. It is far easier for parents to use electronics — an immediate and highly stimulating source of entertainment — to occupy their child rather than encourage them to read. With less early exposure to books, children cannot build a strong foundation for reading and writing. 

Even many parents have stopped reading books for fun. A 2022 Gallup survey found that, on average, adults read six fewer books per year in 2021 than in 1999, at 12.6 vs 18.5 books per year respectively. Because children often mirror the actions of their parents, when parents do not read, their kids are less likely to read as well. “Parents who actually read as adults ha[ve] children who then read as adults, because […] you see that that’s something they enjoy as their pastime, so, therefore, you enjoy it as your pastime,” said Carolynne Ladd, Mounds View High School social studies teacher.  

That isn’t to say that all parents do not read books regularly. Many parents who do read have simply switched to digital forms, such as e-books. However, children may interpret digital reading as parents surfing the web, especially when they have already connected electronic devices with fast-paced entertainment. 

Declining interest in reading is also apparent in high schoolers. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of 17 year olds who never read for fun increased from 9% in 1984 to 27% in 2019. “The time I would spend reading, I spend on my phone or watching a show, which I feel like I should be changing, but that’s just how it is,” said Julia Gronert, a junior who used to read 100 books a year but now rarely reads for fun. 

Teachers have also noticed this shift in the classroom. “There would always be a group of kids who had a book they were reading, and they couldn’t wait until those free 10 minutes of class where they could pull up their books and start reading,” said Rebecca Hauth-Schmidt, Mounds View High School English teacher. “Nowadays, I would say I have maybe two kids in a class who might do that.” 

Reading less means that students of all ages have put less time into improving their comprehension and vocabulary range. “It’s just like playing basketball or playing piano. The more you read, the better you are at it,” said Hauth-Schmidt. 

Even though students do read thousands of words a day from social media captions or articles, they do not use the same critical thinking or analyzing skills that reading books requires. Short-form content also does not require the same level of reading stamina, which is another skill that takes time to develop and is crucial for reading comprehension and enjoyment. Consequently, many students may not be able to understand advanced texts or focus for longer periods of time like past students could.

Overall, several factors at home have contributed to declining reading proficiency, as the influence of technology makes it difficult for books to take precedence. Whether students can get back to reading as often or long depends not only on teachers but also on parents and students themselves. 

Teachers in the United States face growing challenges in curriculum and time constraints regarding how they instruct English. Facing these challenges requires an accurate diagnosis of why students struggle to maintain their interest in reading in order to improve the falling literacy rates widespread across Minnesota and the country.

Some teachers believe that the policy of not penalizing late work is a major factor, diminishing the incentive for students to apply themselves in English classes. “If something was late [two years ago], it was 10% off for each day that it was late […] and we’re not allowed to do that anymore […] I think if we went back to holding kids more accountable, then I think we could get back to teaching at a level and expecting kids to perform at a level that we used to,” said Rebecca Hauth-Schmid, Mounds View High School English teacher. 

The leniency towards late work in English classes is particularly problematic due to fewer traditional tests that are unaffected by the late work policy. In subjects like math, however, where there are typically more frequent assessments, students have fewer chances to turn in work late without facing consequences in the form of reduced grades.

Additionally, teachers, parents and school boards are at odds with each other regarding the literature being taught in school. There is a growing effort by parents across the country to remove literature that touches on subjects that are deemed too “controversial.” “If parents don’t agree with something that’s being taught with something that’s in a book, they can just say, ‘Oh, I don’t want my students to read that book,’” said Hauth-Schmidt. 

Parents have become more influential in curriculum development, especially in English courses. When parents exempt their children from certain books, teachers must come up with a new curriculum that teaches the child the same things, often with very little time to do so, according to Hauth-Schmidt.

Many English teachers also feel that they do not have enough time in one 50-minute class period to help students. “Time constraints make it difficult. There’s a lot more I’d like to teach. And there’s such an abundance of stories out there that I want my students to experience that sometimes that feels a little bit limiting,” said Michelle Sorensen, Chippewa ELA teacher. 

Some teachers are experiencing a similar issue at the elementary school level as well. “We certainly don’t have enough time to do writing […] and let them try out some of those [phonics skills],” said Kelly Hofmeister, Turtle Lake Elementary School first grade teacher. Phonics is a method that teaches students to associate sounds with letters, which is taught through reading and writing. However, with both grouped into the same course, teachers often cannot adequately cover reading and writing in the allotted time. 

Teachers may also neglect writing due to the pressure of meeting expectations on standardized tests. According to data from EdWeek, nearly 80% of educators feel moderate to large pressure to have their students perform on these tests. English standardized tests typically consist of multiple choice questions that concentrate on reading comprehension and vocabulary rather than writing skills. With limited time and testing expectations to meet, teachers often prioritize standardized skills in their lesson plans. Consequently, 75% of students across all grades are not proficient in writing according to recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 

As teachers strive to navigate these challenges, it becomes evident that addressing the multi-issued needs of English education requires collaboration between parents, teachers and school boards to ensure a positive impact on students.