Mississippi(!) has the best demographic-adjusted NAEP (4th & 8th grade) scores now. How did they fix themselves? In 2012, they introduced phonics-based instruction and began to hold back about 10% of 3rd graders per year who failed at reading.
Oregon—dead last by demographically adjusted metrics* and 46th if you prefer non-adjusted—is currently contemplating a bill that gives more power to the legislature and the Oregon Department of Education—both of whom have led us to where we are.
As I’ve said before, this is not a money issue. Oregon spends $17,100 per student annually. This is an abject failure of leadership to set and enforce academic and disciplinary standards. For example, only now, some 10 or more years late, is the legislature considering banning cell phones from classrooms.
Any temptation to blame Covid can be dispensed with as well. Surrounding states have all rebounded while Oregon has not.
I know who I blame, and I have strong doubts that they can fix it.
* Demographically adjusted metrics include gender, age, race, ethnicity, free and reduced-price lunch status, special education status, and English-language-learner status.