Source: Show-Me Institute
by Cory Koedel
“It’s that time of year again. As students finish testing, school begins to shift. More time is spent on parties, watching movies, and projects that fall below grade level. I call it the ‘May Malaise.’ I don’t object to a little downtime as the school year winds down — most parents probably feel the same. But I do mind that the slowdown seems to begin earlier and earlier in the year, stretching into a multi-week period in May when little meaningful academic work takes place. What’s more, students don’t always enjoy it either. Speaking from my own experience, my kids are not exactly clamoring for more assignments, but their disengagement is obvious. This end-of-year drift is especially frustrating after months of being told how critical school attendance is.” (05/22/25)
https://showmeinstitute.org/blog/education/may-malaise-and-the-value-of-testing-in-schools/