> From 2000 to 2007, the bottom tenth of fourth graders in reading ability showed substantial improvement, before stagnating. But by 2024, those gains had been

> From 2000 to 2007, the bottom tenth of fourth graders in reading ability showed substantial improvement, before stagnating. But by 2024, those gains had been erased. Your interactions with people online include the cohort whose reading scores improved while they were in school, and is unlikely to include many current young school children whose scores are falling.