Despite Some Progress, Math and Reading Proficiency Still Eluding Students in Urban Schools

The nation’s cities have shown some improvement in reading and mathematics achievement, but most continue to struggle to move more children toward proficiency in those subjects, particularly minority students, according to the latest results of a special urban-district study on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“To us, it’s very encouraging because it says that our overall trends are moving in the right direction, however modest the reading scores are,” said Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of Great City Schools, a Washington-based advocacy group representing 66 of the nation’s largest-city districts. “But we are cognizant of the fact that we need...