What you need to know from Alabama, Maryland, Missouri and Oregon’s 2023-24 education report cards

Four states have released 2024 education report cards, revealing a continued downward trend in public education.

Oregon 

In the Beaver State, just 42% of 4th graders are proficient in reading and 28% in math.  

And the numbers only get worse from there.  

Proficiency drops several points in both subjects by 8th grade, and in high school, 45% of students meet reading standards and 20% in math.  

So despite spending $18,000 per student and boasting an 81% graduation rate, less than half of Oregon’s public school students read at grade level and only 1-in-5 do math proficiently.  

Nevertheless, Charlene Williams, director of the Oregon Department of Education, claims they made “significant progress toward boosting attendance, improving early literacy and creating a culture of care that includes wrap-around supports. 

“By moving those critical programs forward and aligning them with our department’s three priorities—Academic Excellence, Belonging and Wellness, and Reimagining Accountability—we can support students to success in a community where they feel valued, welcomed and challenged,” Williams said in the report.  

She proposed making further improvements by spending “$90 million in state funding to close opportunity gaps for historically underserved students” and providing “equitable access to summer and afterschool programs.” 

Despite the poor test scores – and the fact that one-third of students are chronically absent – graduation rates in Oregon remain high, averaging over 80%.  

This may be partially due to Oregon’s waiving basic graduation requirements until 2028, ostensibly to aid students of color. 

Missouri 

According to an analysis compiled by St. Louis University, math scores remain between 30-45% proficient, roughly at or below pre-pandemic numbers.  

Scores are universally worse in reading, with a high of 46% in 4th grade and low of 38% in 7th grade.  

Missouri spends roughly $16,000 per student in its public schools.  

“The data shows that Missouri schools are meeting the more rigorous requirements and higher expectations,” said Karla Eslinger, Missouri’s new commissioner of education. “We are seeing positive movement because of hard work at the local level.” 

But public policy experts say Eslinger is skirting accountability for poor education outcomes.  

“The state board of education and the new commissioner are punting when it comes to accountability for school performance,” observed Susan Pendergrass, education policy director at the Show-Me Institute. “Parents who want to know how their children’s district is doing – both in real terms and compared to other districts in the state – have to rely on sites like MoSchoolRankings. That’s information [Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] ought to provide.  

“The state leaders of public education in Missouri either have no confidence in their measurement system or they have no confidence in their schools.” 

Maryland  

Despite spending nearly $20,000 per pupil in public education, Maryland’s students continue struggling in core subjects.  

Statewide, less than half of students (48%) are proficient in English Language Arts and just a quarter (24%) meet standards in math.  

Only a quarter are also proficient in science.  

The average SAT in 2023 was 1007 on a scale of 400-1600, below the national average of 1028, and the average ACT score was 25 out of 36, which exceeded the national mean of 19.5.  

Joshua Michael, president of the state school board, seemed optimistic despite the less-than-stellar results.  

“We are encouraged to see growth and an increase in schools demonstrating four- and five-star ratings and the number on the Maryland Report Card indicating progress in school quality and student achievement in public schools,” Michael said in a press release.  

“The Board is committed to improving transparency and accountability through the Maryland Report Card to better answer the question, ‘How are our public schools doing?’” 

Alabama 

The story is similar in the Yellowhammer State.  

Average reading and math scores among public school students are 53% and 31%, respectively.  

Scores start off strong in 4th grade (58% and 35), worsen in 8th grade (51% and 22%) and plummet by the end of high school (28% and 23%).  

State Superintendent Eric Mackey felt the scores were an overall improvement from pandemic-era learning loss but noticed neglect in math.  

“I feel really good about that because for a long time I was pretty worried about where we were going to go post-COVID. It is still not all done,” Mackey told local media. “But for the most part, when we look at it in general, we are definitely moving in the right direction. 

“We were so focused on reading that we kind of plateaued on math,” he added. “Not really so much going back, but definitely plateauing.”