Launch Michigan statement on new NAEP rankings

LANSING, Mich. — Launch Michigan Co-Chair Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, released the following statement on the new National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) state data and rankings released yesterday:

“While it’s clear that the COVID-19 pandemic set many Michigan students back, the bottom line is that Michigan students aren’t keeping up with the rest of the nation and haven’t been for decades.

“The new NAEP data ranks Michigan fourth graders 43rd in the nation in reading and 36th in math.  Even more concerning is the increasing gap for low-income students compared to students who don’t come from low-income households, which widened dramatically this year.

“Despite the work of dedicated educators and administrators and many well-intentioned attempts at reform, our students are woefully behind. That’s why our business, education and philanthropic leaders came together to form Launch Michigan — to take on our toughest educational challenges. That includes collaborating on a framework of transformational change that addresses the interconnected areas needed for true system reform to make Michigan a top-performing state.

“The impacts of these low rankings stretch beyond the walls of the classroom. States with the highest rates of education attainment have the highest quality of life and the largest incomes. If we don’t act now to transform public education, we face long-lasting consequences for Michigan’s economic future.”

Launch Michigan is also co-chaired by Brian Calley, president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, Paula Herbart, president of the Michigan Education Association, and Punita Dani Thurman, vice president of program and strategy for The Skillman Foundation.

On a recent Business Leaders for Michigan poll, Michiganders indicated that improving K-12 public schools should be the top priority for state leaders to focus on to make Michigan more competitive.

In alignment with its framework released in June, Launch Michigan achieved several wins as part of the bipartisan 2023 budget, including equity funding for the nearly 1 million students in the state who face special challenges, due to their need for special education or because they come from families with low incomes. Launch Michigan successfully advocated for funding for fellowships to entice more professionals into teaching, as well as the creation of an incentive fund to help districts make operational changes and improve efficiencies to drive more dollars to the classrooms and to students.

Launch Michigan is transitioning from a coalition to a 501(c)(3) organization to continue pushing for even more substantive revisions to the state’s education system in the coming years.

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Launch Michigan is an unprecedented partnership of business, education, labor, philanthropy, and civic leaders, as well as parents, all of whom care deeply about education and our state’s collective future. That is why we want a high-quality, student-centered system–one that helps every student succeed in school, in their careers, and in life. We understand implicitly that a strong, thriving public education system is the cornerstone of successful kids, prosperous communities, and a strong economy. Learn more at LaunchMichigan.org.