At SmartBrief and Future B2B, we keep our fingers on the pulse of the trends and market forces shaping the industries we cover, and the leaders, organizations and businesses that are making a difference. Examining the stories our audiences find most valuable helps us better understand the trends that matter -- and enables us to more effectively serve our professional readers and clients.

Here is some of what our audience of industry decision-makers found most valuable last month.

Top stories from February

• The neurobiological roots of dyslexia explained
• Philly schools see steady scores with new ELA curriculum
• St. Louis schools seek literacy gains through new approach
• Balancing phonics, comprehensive literacy instruction
• Houston district overhaul leads to gains, controversy

Top trend

This year’s NAEP, released in January, scores paint a sobering picture of students’ reading performance. On average, students at the fourth- and eighth-grade levels continue to show declines – two points lower than students in 2022 and five points lower than students in 2019. There are some encouraging signs of improvement coming out of the southern states, but nationally educators are extremely concerned and looking for strategies to drive better results. 

There’s no silver bullet for this issue. It will take education providers and school leaders working together to identify specific needs and develop systems and solutions to address those needs. This will likely be a long game – especially given the current fiscal crisis in schools – but providers need to see this as a relationship opportunity. The one who endures, wins. 

Opportunities include 

• Reading curriculum
• Professional development
• Data analytics and assessment tools

Additional trends

• Concern about what could happen if the Ed department closes; Linda McMahon confirmed as Ed secretary
• Brain science research and what it says about supporting students, emotionally and academically
• As student misconduct worsens, schools and lawmakers look to shut it down
• Chronic absenteeism persists, contributing to low performance and fiscal challenges
• Improving ties between families and schools is critical to driving learning recovery