 According to the latest research from the Department of Education, just 43% of fourth graders in the U.S. are reading at or above the national proficiency level. The facts are clear. Our nation is facing a literacy crisis. But rather than solve the problem, school districts across the country are masking it by lowering standards and redefining proficiency. That is unfair to the children they are trusted to serve. The Leadership Institute's School Board Leaders Program refuses to give up on our nation's children.