Whitmer Woes: Michigan test scores fall to new lows despite increased spending

Recently released test results show new lows for Michigan students on standardized exams, even as the state continues to spend historic amounts on education.

State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko said more work is needed—especially on reading.

“It will take continued hard work from everyone and a strong Students First approach to improve student achievement across Michigan,” Maleyko said. “That means we must emphasize teamwork involving MDE, the State Board of Education, local school districts, parents, the governor, the legislature, the business and philanthropic communities, education associations, labor, higher education and libraries.”

The results of the 2026 Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, also known as M-STEP, found that 61.8% of all third-graders scored below proficient on the state’s English language arts test. That was up slightly from 61.1% in 2024.

This has been an ongoing trend over the last few years, with fourth-graders seeing a similar increase this year in the percentage of students scoring below proficient.

In the exam’s 12-year history, the 2026 results are the worst scores ever recorded among third-graders.

The Michigan Department of Education said in a press release on the report that the results were largely unchanged from 2025.

“Most proficiency rates are essentially flat when compared to 2025 results on the tests, with the rates on all except four of 20 tests staying within two percentage points of the numbers in 2025 and most staying within a percentage point,” it said.

While learning setbacks were once largely attributed to COVID-19, the current third-graders were just two or three years old when the pandemic began in 2020.

The Michigan Forward Network, a conservative nonprofit, blamed Democrats for the worsening student outcomes.

“Gretchen Whitmer has had mistaken priorities when it comes to education from day one,” said spokesperson Gabe Butzke. “Adults have failed our kids, plain and simple. From the State Board of Education to administrators and the governor, our students have been left behind while they chose to prioritize their own agendas. Whitmer’s administration has been one failure after another, and now that she has one final opportunity to make a responsible choice for Michigan’s students, she is dragging her feet.”

Between grades 3-7, an average of just 39.84% of students were found by M-STEP to be advanced or proficient in English language arts. That’s compared to an average of 47% ten years ago.

In recent years, the state legislature has consistently increased per-pupil funding in an effort to mitigate learning losses and improve student outcomes.

Just this budget cycle, the budget increased the state’s allowance by $250 per student, bringing per-student funding to a record high of $10,300. That is an increase of 2.5% in spending per student. The School Aid budget totaled roughly $22.9 billion altogether.

Maleyko applauded those efforts, but said more still needs to be done.

“The good news is that we have broad and bipartisan support for plans to use evidence-based methods such as the Science of Reading to improve student proficiency,” he said. “However, we need to make improvements to help our students achieve at higher levels. We need to increase proficiency rates in all subject areas and show steady improvement over time.”