SOFEI Insights™

Why America's literacy crisis demands more than explanations, and what it means for education, workforce readiness, and economic independence. Imagine entering middle school with the academic expectations of a sixth grader but the reading comprehension skills of a much younger student. You are expected to interpret scientific information, understand mathematical problems, analyze historical documents, and communicate your thinking in writing. Yet the foundational literacy skills necessary to perform these tasks independently remain underdeveloped. The student has advanced to the next grade. But has the student received the preparation necessary to succeed? This is an uncomfortable question, and one that deserves more attention. In conversations about declining academic performance, people often point to COVID-19 as the explanation. The pandemic undeniably disrupted education, interrupted routines, and created significant learning challenges. But COVID cannot be the o...