It’s back-to-school time in New York City, but the Department of Education isn’t ready.

As the DOE faces the new academic year, let’s bring out its latest report card to see where it can keep up the good work and where it must do better.

Unfortunately, what needs improvement far exceeds the positives to maintain.

New York City’s most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress results , “The Nation’s Report Card,” shows 71% of our eighth-graders fail grade-level proficiency in reading, and 77% fail in math — in other words, the vast majority of our kids fell off the minimum literacy and numeracy tracks by eighth grade.

That’s more than a failing report card. It’s a scandal. 3

But even a failing student can — with hard work — become a ( non-grade-inflated ) C s

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