Just 31% of Michigan fourth graders are reading proficiently according to a study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, entitled "Kids Count."
The report cited Michigan as just one of six states that has failed to make progress improving reading levels over the last decade.
Detroit News: Michigan’s spending on K-12 education dropped 20 percent, when adjusted for inflation, between 2003 and 2013, according to the foundation. During that period, reading proficiency stayed about the same in Michigan while improving in most other states, according to the report.
Nearly $1 billion in surplus state revenue was identified earlier this month — an opportunity to offer much-needed resources to Michigan schools, the foundation said.
The report also said the gap in read proficiency between students from high-income backgrounds and students from low-income backgrounds has widened. According the foundation, 81% of low-income Michigan fourth graders are not reading at grade level.
