The dangers of attempting to ‘Instant Pot’ educational progress

Key points:

We are living in an Ozempic era. 

Instant gratification is king, and everyone is looking for quick fixes to chronic challenges.  

This is as true in the world of education as it is in health care.  

States aren’t happy with how their students are doing–not well, by all objective measures–but instead of focusing in on long-term solutions, they’re lowering expectations and sweeping those academic gaps under the rug. 

It’s a troubling trend that’s sweeping through red states and blue states alike. 

In 2024, both Oklahoma and Wisconsin lowered what it means for students to be proficient in grade-level content. That means students this year did not need to achieve the same mastery of knowledge and skills as kids in previous years. Students who would have been performing below standards and assigned intervention support are now being told they are passing. 

Minnesota, Florida, and North Carolina are rolling back high school math or English requirements. Minnesota previously eliminated its graduation exam requirement for math, which resulted in a decade-long slide in student proficiency. Now, they have proposed eliminating an Algebra II requirement. Florida is actively looking at removing graduation requirements which include passing a 10th grade English Language Arts assessment and a statewide algebra test. Likewise, the North Carolina legislature is proposing splitting two math courses into four without adding any additional content. The result: A student can satisfy the state’s four-credit math graduation requirement with only the knowledge of two levels of math.  

The proposed or passed changes for all five states: Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida, and North Carolina will result in what looks like more kids succeeding in school, but the gains won’t be real. It’ll be the academic equivalent of passing off a microwaved Hot Pocket as your grandma’s homemade lasagna. 

Chipping away at what we expect from our students will continue to exacerbate the honesty gap between how they are told they’re doing at the state level versus how they stack up against their peers nationally, setting them up for a rough brush with reality after they graduate. 

It also will lead to more students at all levels of educational achievement needing remedial help. Even Harvard, the country’s oldest and most prestigious Ivy League institution recently announced a new introductory course to rectify a lack of foundational math skills among incoming students. 

This should serve as a proverbial canary in the coal mine when it comes to how well our K-12 system is preparing students in basic subject areas like math. Instead of entering college ready to embrace higher education, those students now must spend time and treasure to learn knowledge and skills they could and should have acquired in high school. 

As much as it might reveal painful truths, we must accurately measure our students if we want them to succeed. Fortunately, there are states we can look to for guidance. 

Policymakers should follow the lead of Mississippi and Louisiana with their rigorous expectations, strong and transparent school accountability and reading initiatives. Alabama is paving the way in math with its Numeracy Act. 

At ExcelinEd, we know there are numerous policy solutions that lead to real, tangible student outcomes. These policy solutions will take years for real progress to be seen. There are no quick fixes. 

But inevitably, with hard work and sustained commitment, the states that stay the course will emerge on top.  And those states that are cutting expectations to make themselves look better will realize far too late the damage they are causing. Lowering the bar isn’t some sort of miracle drug. It’s a disservice to students and families.  

Right now, we need a little more tough love–stronger expectations, accountability and leadership–in the K-12 space.  A solid education is more than just good student outcomes; it’s also the route to a more fruitful and financially secure country.  

Policymakers have to make a choice. They can take the easy way out, or they can make the better choice to invest in proven approaches that will pay off for decades to come.