CBS News – By their own admission, the New York City Public School system has failed its students.

Literacy is at the core of education, and yet the number of students who can’t read, or are below grade level, is staggering.

City public schools are in the midst of a multimillion dollar overhaul of how they teach kids to read. A quick look at the numbers reveals why: Before the 2023, more than half of city public school students grades 3-8 either could not read, or were reading below their grade level.

That’s equal to 225,000 students who had fallen behind, according to city testing and enrollment data.

“Students who are middle and high school, can’t read their textbooks, and can’t fill out job applications,” Kim Sweet, executive director of Advocates for Children, said. “I don’t think we have any choice but to change our approach to reading instruction.”