A 'Tale of Two Stats' and No Solutions

High School graduation rates mask underlying weaknesses in public education

NOTE: The following commentary was published May 11 in the Minneapolis Times. If you’re interested in Minneapolis and Minnesota politics and policy, the Minneapolis Times is an excellent publication — www.MinneapolisTimes.com

It’s the nature of Minnesotans to celebrate a good outcome even if it hides a troubling reality. The Timberwolves had a historically bad night from the three-point range in the fifth playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers. But they won the game and the series, so all was good. Until the first game against the Golden State Warriors when poor shooting doomed them.

So it is with the recently-announced Minnesota high school graduation rates. The good news is that 84.2% of Minnesota students completed their high school education in four years, a record high.

Significantly, graduation rates improved among most demographics. The rate of Black students finishing high school in four years increased by 1.8%, Asian students by 2.7%, American Indian students by 1.6%, Hispanic and Latino students by 2.5%, and white students by 0.6%.

But look beneath the numbers and a worrisome reality is obvious. Catrin Wigfall, writing for the Center of the American Experiment, put it succinctly. “While high school graduation is an important milestone, there is concern that too many students are being sent out of the system with a piece of paper and deficient skills,” she wrote.

“It’s a tale of two stats: a fairly constant four-year graduation rate — now the highest on record — and mediocre or declining academic proficiency.”

Her point is that the record graduation rate masks the on-going decline in academic performance. Reading proficiency for the graduating class of 2024 was 60% or lower when they were 10th graders in 2022. Math proficiency when they were 11th graders in 2023 topped out among all demographics at less than 43%. Other than white and Asian students, barely one-third of other students were reading at grade level in 10th grade and no more than 16% were at grade level in math as 11th graders.

As Wiglin points out, it’s not just the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment scores that dim the glow on those high school diplomas. “Average English, math, science, and composite ACT scores among Minnesota’s class of 2024 are the lowest they have been in at least a decade,” she wrote. “Just over a quarter (26%) of Minnesota exam-takers met all four college-readiness benchmarks in math, reading, English, and science, also the lowest percentage in at least a decade. Perhaps more concerning is that 35% met zero of the benchmarks.”

The Timberwolves took a hard look at their shooting woes, accepted no-holds-barred criticism from the coach and fared better in the early going with the Warriors. Minnesota students deserve no less.

Sadly, candid assessment of school performance isn’t a hallmark of Minnesota education. Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett saw nothing but positives in the high school graduation rates. “I am thrilled to see the success of many of our student groups — especially those most at risk– and a closing of the achievement gap as we work to make sure every student, of every background, zip code and ability has access to a world-class education,” he said.

If world class accommodates a standard in which more than 40% of students aren’t reading at grade level and only about one-third are proficient in math one or two years before they graduate from high school, Minnesota and the nation are in big trouble.

Yes, there are legitimate explanations. Not all students take the tests, the scores likely are depressed by the nearly 16% of students not graduating on time and, of course, there were the Covid years.

Frankly, none of that matters. What matters is that Minnesota is failing the education of children and policymakers can’t keep pretending that tweaks to school funding (Democrats) or giving families tax-supported vouchers to abandon public schools (Republicans) will fix the crisis.

Peter Hutchinson, former superintendent of the Minneapolis School District, is right when he says, “We are acting like we have time to correct what is wrong with reading in Minnesota. We do not. Back in 2013 we already had 60% of children not reading proficiently. That, amazingly enough, made us above average. So, we sat on our hands and told ourselves that, well, at least we’re better than them. And then we made things worse — so bad that we are not better than them,” he wrote in a commentary for the Minnesota StarTribune.

Hutchinson was speaking specifically about the inability of so many Minnesota children to read at grade level, but his criticism and his solutions could apply to public education in general. “We’ve tried a reasonable path — it hasn’t worked. Now is the time to be unreasonable,” he said.

Hutchinson urged an intensive and immediate, summer-long program to make teachers better instructors of reading. Fund the initiative, demand teachers demonstrate their ability to raise reading proficiency and be transparent about the results.

It’s a good start, but not enough.

• Many Minnesota students, especially those whose academic progress was disrupted by Covid, need intensive tutoring to catch up.

• Evidence-based programs like AmeriCorps’ Reading and Math Corps should be funded and integrated into K-3 curricula across the state.

• Technology in classrooms needs to quickly advance. Online programs - especially in science and math where teachers are in high demand - should be developed for statewide in-classroom use. Yes, many students were bored to distraction with online learning during Covid and why not? The content and production were boring. Bring in the best experts and produce content that teaches and engages.

• Adapt AI to learning. Identify both those students who are falling behind and those students who are bored waiting for their classmates to catch up to them and use technology to make sure both groups are successful.

All this will take an entirely new approach to public education, from how school districts are organized (does Minnesota really need 330 independent school districts?) to how teachers are paid (too little) to how schools are funded (the state formula is a relic of different times).

With the Minnesota Legislature rushing to a close, it’s not likely that any of this will get done soon. But time is of the essence. If the Legislature wants to carve a bold path forward, provide funds and identify experts to re-design public education, from pre-school to high school graduation. Do it now and report back to the Legislature by next session to demand the start of sweeping policy changes.

Ignore the status quo, the sacred cows, the entrenched interests. Put one and only one goal at the center: Producing high school graduates who have not just the diploma but the skills and knowledge to compete at a world-class level. The tale of two stats must be high school graduates AND proficiency in core subject areas.

Minnesota can afford no less.