*New York students posted steep declines in reading performance during the 2025-26 school year, with most children in grades 3 through 5 falling short of proficiency.
Preliminary results from the State Education Department show 57% of third graders, 52% of fourth graders, and 57% of fifth graders did not meet proficiency standards on the 2025-26 English Language Arts exams, according to the New York Post.
The decline extended across other grade levels. Overall, 48% of students in grades 3 through 8 reached ELA proficiency, down five percentage points from the previous year. Fifth graders experienced the largest statewide decline, with proficiency falling 14 percentage points.
New York City also recorded substantial losses. About 44% of third graders reached the ELA standard, while fifth-grade proficiency declined by 13.1 percentage points.
The results come as New York continues to spend heavily on public education.
Scroll to continue reading
The state spends about $37,000 per student, according to Empire Center data, while New York City’s figure is closer to $44,000. Both totals are well above the national average cited in the report.
“If the amount of money spent alone determined the results, New York should be on top of the world,” Empire Center President and CEO Zilvinas Silenas said.
The state is set to devote even more money to schools during the 2026-27 academic year. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget includes $39.3 billion for education, with some funding aimed at training teachers in evidence-based reading and math instruction.
Math results were stronger than reading. About 57% of students in grades 3 through 8 met the math standard, representing a slight improvement from the prior year.
Education officials emphasized that the latest scores are not final and said they plan to study the decline more closely.
“The Department takes this decline seriously,” spokesperson JP O’Hare said, adding that officials will examine which students and communities need the most support.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Spelman Students Develop ‘PlantGPT’ to Turn Plant Care Into a Conversation
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
