Early Grade Reading
Every Child is Proficient at 3rd Grade Reading
“Once students transition from the 3rd to 4th grade, they go from learning to read to reading to learn. This means children are expected to use reading to learn other subjects. Kids who reach fourth grade without being able to read proficiently are more likely to struggle academically, less likely to graduate high school, and less likly to find suitable career prospects. In fact, students who cannot read at a proficient level or above in 3rd grade are 4 times more likely not to graduate high school by the age of 19.
In Brown County, reading proficiency levels have been slowly declining, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2016-2017 school year, 41% of Brown County students were reading at a proficient level. The most recent 2020-2021 shows a 14% decrease in reading proficiency, with only 27% of Brown County students meeting 3rd-grade reading proficiency targets.
Reading proficiency scores in Brown County also reveal massive equity gaps between children of marginalized populations and white students. The largest racial equity gap, a 31.3% difference, exists between Latino and white students. However, no equity gap exists that is lower than 16%.
Learn more about our Reading Success Summit and what we are doing here.
