Alia Wong
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Alia Wong
@aliaemily.bsky.social
Education collaborations editor at the Associated Press. Priors: USA TODAY, The Atlantic, Honolulu Civil Beat. Hawai'i gal based in DC.
Reposted by Alia Wong
There's going to be a lot of spin from all sides about the cause of these test score declines. It's important to see the full context: skills in math and reading have been slipping since the 2010's. For context, "basic" skills in 4th grade include identifying main ideas & understanding number lines.
January 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Alia Wong
The one bright spot? Louisiana and Alabama. LA is the only state that has exceeded its pre-pandemic scores in 4th grade reading, and AL for 4th-grade math. Both states have majorly reformed how they teach reading, and Alabama's 2022 Numeracy Act aimed to overhaul math as well.
'Mississippi miracle': Kids' reading scores have soared in Deep South states
Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana have seen a promising turnaround in their student reading scores after passing a series of similar literacy reforms. The success has grabbed the attention of educato...
apnews.com
January 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Alia Wong
Despite $190 billion in federal spending for academic recovery, a worryingly high number of children in the U.S. still struggle to read -- a trend that began well before the pandemic.
US children fall further behind in reading, make little improvement in math on national exam
New results from a national exam find that America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math.
apnews.com
January 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
“They’re not even at risk of deportation and they’re still scared." Schools are fielding calls from parents worried about raids. One expected so many students to miss class the day after Trump took office that it accelerated its exam schedule so kids wouldn't miss tests. apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump won't ban immigration arrests at school. Some families are now weighing school attendance
As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school.
apnews.com
January 22, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Reposted by Alia Wong
She wanted to be a nurse. He was a father of two. He was a talented football player. She was a single mom. He was an executive. They were celebrating the hopes of a new year. They all were so very young. apnews.com/article/new-...
An aspiring nurse, a football star, a single mother and a father of 2 killed in New Orleans attack
An 18-year-old woman dreaming of becoming a nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a football star suffered fatal injuries when the driver of a white pickup truck sped onto Bourbon Street, packed...
apnews.com
January 2, 2025 at 9:56 PM
As part of AP's ongoing coverage of chronically absent kids, we partnered with ICT to zoom in on Native American communities. Poverty, generational trauma, cultural bias & an entrenched distrust of schools have contributed to especially high rates of Native absenteeism.
apnews.com/article/scho...
Native American students miss school at higher rates. It only got worse during the pandemic
Years after COVID-19 disrupted American schools, nearly every state is still struggling with attendance.
apnews.com
December 4, 2024 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Alia Wong
Chronic absenteeism is a crisis for schools across America, but Native students have been particularly hard-hit. We explore how one school district in Arizona is using cultural success coaches to help families address challenges that keep students from coming to school.
Native American students miss school at higher rates. It only got worse during the pandemic
Years after COVID-19 disrupted American schools, nearly every state is still struggling with attendance.
apnews.com
December 3, 2024 at 3:15 PM
"If 'you constantly threaten people with the possibility of mass deportation, it really inhibits peoples’ ability to function in society and for their kids to get an education.'"

Bianca Vázquez Toness on the implications of Trump's mass deportation pledge for schools: apnews.com/article/immi...
Schools are bracing for upheaval over fear of mass deportations
Regardless of whether President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his pledge to deport millions of immigrants, educators around the U.S. are bracing for upheaval.
apnews.com
November 27, 2024 at 5:52 PM
"Texas’ plans to implement Biblical teachings in public school lesson plans is the latest effort by Republican-controlled states to bring religion into the classroom." apnews.com/article/texa...
Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools
Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger pr...
apnews.com
November 22, 2024 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Alia Wong
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November 22, 2024 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Alia Wong
My Associated Press colleague @mrsmithap.bsky.social has made a very useful starter pack of AP journalists bsky.app/starter-pack...
November 22, 2024 at 4:34 PM