State superintendent urges ‘back to basics’ reading push, outlines math, CTE, teacher-prep and budget changes

Debbie Critchfield, Idaho State Superintendent, told the Idaho House Education Committee on Jan. 23, 2025, that the Department of Education is focusing on early reading, essential math standards, career-technical education and teacher preparation as statewide priorities. "We have to ensure that our students have the ability to read," Critchfield said at the start of her annual briefing.

Critchfield said Idaho tests all kindergarten through third-grade students with the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) and reported an 8% increase in third-grade reading proficiency over the past two years. She told the committee the department is shifting from a norm-referenced to a criterion-referenced contract for the IRI so the state will not "reset the bar" every five years and can instead track consistent year-to-year progress for students.

Why it matters: Early reading proficiency is commonly used as a predictor of later academic success; the superintendent framed literacy, math and civics as the foundation for student preparation and for an Idaho diploma that has practical value for both college and career pathways.

On math,…