Established by the Iowa Department of Education in partnership with the University of Iowa, the Iowa Reading Research Center was created by the Iowa Legislature in 2012 with the intention of applying current research on literacy and the Science of Reading to support instructional strategies and evidence-based interventions to achieve literacy proficiency for all Iowa students.
Shawn Datchuk, the newly appointed director of the center, was recently interviewed by local media outlet KGAN to discuss the current reading proficiency levels of Iowa students (grades 3-11) based on results from the spring 2024 assessment from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress.
The following excerpt is from the KGAN article:
“Iowa students have returned to pre-pandemic proficiency levels in key academic areas, but significant gaps in achievement persist, according to the latest results from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP).
The 2024 spring results, released by the Iowa Department of Education, indicate that student proficiency in both English language arts (ELA) and mathematics has rebounded to where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling. However, while many students have shown progress, the data reveals disparities, particularly among students with disabilities, English learners, and those from lower-income households.
‘There's lots to be happy here, celebrate the student successes,’ Dr. Shawn Datchuk, director of the Iowa Reading Research Center and professor of special education at the University of Iowa, said. ‘But, I think, at a bird's eye view, it paints a picture that there are still students who need our support.’
Roughly 25-30% of students, or about 80,000 to 100,000 across the state, still scored below proficiency. This underscores the need for continued academic support, according to Datchuk.”
