MONTGOMERY — Fewer third-graders scored below grade level in reading in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to results released by the Alabama Department of Education. Still, 22% or 11,725 students statewide failed to meet that critical educational milestone.
Learning to read by the end of third grade is considered fundamental to school success. Children not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely than proficient readers to leave high school without a diploma. After third grade, teachers expect students to read in order to learn.
In later grades, students without adequate reading skills struggle and have limited opportunities to make up the deficit. With early identification of reading challenges and research-based interventions, virtually all children can be taught to read.
The Alabama Literacy Act, passed in 2019, has sharpened the focus on early grades reading and directed coaching support and additional resources to support reading instruction based on the science of reading.The law requires all schools to assess students in reading from kindergarten through third grade.
If a K-3 student is identified with a reading deficiency, the law requires the child’s parent or guardian to be notified within 15 days. The school is required to develop and implement an intervention plan for the student within 30 days.
Identified students are to receive support from reading specialists during school, before or after school, and over the summer until the student’s deficits are addressed.
“Each K-3 student who exhibits a reading deficiency or the characteristics of dyslexia, shall be provided an appropriate reading intervention program to address his or her specific deficiencies,” the law reads. “Additionally, students shall be evaluated after every grading period and, if a student is determined to have a reading deficiency, the school shall provide the student with additional tutorial support.”
“Each identified student shall receive intensive reading intervention until the student no longer has a deficiency in reading.”
The 2022 results represent a slight improvement over 2021, when 23% of students scored below grade level on the reading portion of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), the statewide standardized test administered each spring.
Click to read the complete analysis, including third-grade reading results for each school system, as well as an examination of the correlation between poverty and performance.
The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama is a nonpartisan research organization focused on helping state and community leaders make better-informed public policy decisions.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
