Following an overhaul of reading instruction in NYC public schools last year, a lower percentage of students was found to have achieved proficiency on state reading tests, according to data released by the Department of Education on Wednesday.
Reading scores went down for all racial and ethnic groups, with the largest drops taking place among white and Hispanic students, the DOE said. According to the data, 36.4% of Hispanic students in grades 3 through 8 are proficient in reading, a decline from 39.4%, while proficiency among white students declined from 69.5% to 65.8%.
Just under half of students in grades 3 through 8 were deemed proficient this spring, compared to 51.7% in 2023, a 2.6 percentage point drop, the data reads. However, the share of students younger than third grade who are considered proficient in reading rose from 36.4% to 38.2%.
The analysis also shows that 53.4% of students in the third through eighth grades are considered proficient in math, up from 49.9%.
The new data comes after Schools Chancellor David Banks and Mayor Eric Adams announced a major overhaul of literacy instruction in the city’s public schools, addressing what they called the “education crisis of our time.” The city began phasing in the shift at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, moving students away from “balanced literacy,” which minimized phonics in favor of textual reading clues. Rather, the city embraced the “science of reading,” focusing on reading fundamentals such as phonics and vocabulary.
In March, Gothamist obtained preliminary data that showed the city’s considerably low reading proficiency rates dropped more at schools using the new material. While education officials at the time suggested the comparison was inaccurate, the latest data suggests the preliminary data heralded the decline in reading proficiency.
“Significant change does not happen overnight, and the slight decline in ELA [English Language Arts] test scores represents a transitional period as our school system adjusts to a new method of instruction,” Banks said in a statement. “While challenges remain in higher grades, our early successes signal that we are on the right path to enhancing student achievement across the board.”
