Maine sees second-largest education decline in national report

Maine (WABI) - Maine has the second-largest decline in the country for education scores, according to a national report released Monday.

The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book shows Maine’s national test scores have dropped 88 points since 2019, and its overall education score fell by 224 points. The nonprofit Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks each state in four categories: education, family and community, health and economic well-being. The latest data is from 2024.

“We really think of it as a call to action,” said Kristen Kinchla, a research associate with Maine Children’s Alliance, the state’s partnering organization with the Casey Foundation. “It can be used for context but what’s more important is whether children’s lives are improving. And so, it’s wide scores adding in the scores over time so we can see if there’s improvement over time, are really valuable.”

Education concerns

Kinchla said the data suggests too many children are not getting the early learning opportunities and literacy supports they need.

“If Maine wants strong readers at age 10, we need to support children’s language development from birth to age 10,” Kinchla said. “We know that children that have access to quality early learning environments, they’re less likely to enter kindergarten with reading difficulties.”

Kinchla said it is important not to blame children, families or particular schools. This is a statewide issue.

“We really think that when large numbers of children are struggling, that’s a signal to look at the systems around them,” she said. “The question isn’t whether we know what chlidren need- we do know what they need, the question is whether we’re going to build and sustain the systems that we provide those supports at the scale that children need.”

Positive findings

Maine ranks sixth in the nation for family and community connections. The report states only 2% of children in Maine live in what is considered high poverty areas.

“I think that is an encouraging finding that Maine continues to grow strongly on a lot of those family and community indicators,” Kinchla said. “We’ve been pretty consistent in that over the years. And those gains definitely show that policy choices and investments can make a difference in the lives of kids and their families.”

Kinchla said when it comes to the well-being of children, the focus should return to the basics.

“They need and deserve stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, supportive relationships and opportunities to learn and grow,” she said.

To read the FULL 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book click here