A new report ranks Iowa seventh in the nation for children's well-being, but a nonprofit leader cautions that the state still faces struggles, particularly with learning gaps in reading and math.
The 2024 Kid Data Count Book released by the the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that Iowa still has work to do despite its "good" standing, says Anne Discher, executive director of Common Good Iowa, a Des Moines nonprofit.
"It still really begs the question of whether we're doing better than average or are we doing as well as we should be — and could be — for kids?" she said.
Iowa, for example is ranked at No. 13 nationally in education, but a state-by-state analysis reveals "alarming" reading and math rates for fourth- and eighth-graders, Discher said.
In 2022, 67% of the state's fourth-graders were below proficient in reading — just shy of the national average of 68%. Seventy-two percent of eighth-graders that same year were below proficient in math — which also sits just below the national average of 74%.
State averages also show an increase over the last several years.
"Even if we're 2 percentage points better than the national average, that's not really terribly reassuring," Discher said, adding the stats shows a consistent trend. Young students have continued to struggle with grasping basic skills and missing testing benchmarks, she said.
Here's what else the report found:
Iowa children can't meet reading standards
Iowa lags behind the national average is in the number of children in preschool. In 2022, roughly 45,000 Iowa children between ages 3 and 4 — 57% — were not enrolled in preschool, compared with the national average of 54%. That places the state 24th, Discher said.
On reading, Common Good Iowa and the Casey Foundation also found:
- In 2022, two-thirds of fourth-graders were below proficient in reading and about 81% were from low-income families — percentage rates that have been stagnant over the last several years.
- More fourth-graders living in cities and towns scored below proficient in reading compared with those living in the suburbs or rural communities.
- Schools that receive Title 1 funds that seek to support students from low-income families also saw consistent and high rates of students who were below proficient in reading.
What does it all mean?
In Discher's eyes, the data sheds light on the needs of Iowa students, especially those of color or from low-income families. Their learning can be greatly affected as their basic needs go unmet, the report found.
Though the report ranked Iowa third in the nation for economic well-being, Discher cited another figure to consider that gives a glimpse of the children's challenges stretching far beyond the classroom.
Thirty-eight percent of children during the 2021-22 school year endured at least one "adverse experiences" and 26% were chronically absent. The report explains adverse experiences families facing economic hardship or a child's parents may be divorced, in jail or have died. A child may have witnessed domestic violence, live with someone who has a mental illness or substance problem or have faced racial discrimination.
"If you're really serious about reading proficiency, you want to be sure you're using the best strategies but you also need to make sure kids don't come to school hungry and that they're getting healthcare," Discher said. "That if there are developmental concerns, kids are getting early intervention. That their parents are making a living wage so they can meet their kids' needs."
Iowa's minimum wage is $7.25 and has not changed since 2008. A controversial bill signed into law this legislative session included an overhaul of the state's Area Education Agencies shifting funding from the organization that provides school districts with special education.
Anti-hunger activists have also criticized Gov. Kim Reynolds for declining $29 million in federal food aid for low-income families during the summer months and instead launching a $900 million state grant program to set up summer meal sites.
Activists argued the Republican governor's decision has left families with one less option especially at a time when pantries have continued to see record-high visits.
TheDes Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), which partners with 14 separate food pantry sites, marked April as one of its busiest months ever, serving approximately 25,209 people.
Discher said she knows this report and the challenges presented are "overwhelming" especially for low-income families and families of color.
"It is not that we don't have policy solutions," she said. "In a lot of these cases, we really do have a pretty good sense of what we need to do to improve outcomes for kids.
"I think what we're often lacking is the political will to do them."
F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issuesfor the Des Moines Register. Email her atftugade@dmreg.comor follow her on Twitter@writefelissa.
