Despite extensive efforts by educators, reading achievement nation-wide lags behind pre-pandemic levels. A study that included nearly 12 million students who took the i-Ready Diagnostic for Reading assessment during the 2024-2025 school year revealed that fewer students in grades 1-4 are reaching grade-level (Table 1.1) (Curriculum Associates, 2025). There was a loss in achievement across all demographics in grades 1 and 4 (Table 1.2) and income levels in grades 1, 4, and 8 (Table 1.3). There was a slight increase in achievement for students in grades 6, 7, and 8. In grades 1 through 5, there was an increase in students reading below grade level (Table 1.4). At grades K and 1, there was a decrease in percentage of students achieving grade level in phonics (Table 1.5). At grade 2 there was an increase in percentage of students performing below grade level in phonics.
Overall, students in grades K-4 have lost ground and are reading at lower levels than in the past. The drop in achievement is particularly large for the lowest scoring students, those at the 10th percentile and below. According to the report, students are growing at a rate similar to that of pre-pandemic years, but they need to grow at an increased rate, especially at the lower levels, to make up for losses in achievement levels. More students are reading below grade level, and they are farther behind than in the past. Increased instruction aimed at closing the gap between where students are and where they need to be is required. More intensive intervention needs to be provided for the lowest achieving students, since they are farther behind than in the past. Because a greater proportion of students are reading below grade level, provision needs to be made to enable them to read their textbooks, which are typically on grade level or above, or to provide them with materials at a level that they can read with understanding, if given effective instruction. Overall, this fall elementary school students will be entering school less well prepared in reading than in pre-pandemic years and so need enhanced instruction and added time.
Table 1.1
Percentage of Students Reading on Grade Level
| Grade | 2019 | 2024-2025 |
| K | 89 | 81 |
| 1 | 68 | 60 |
| 2 | 67 | 60 |
| 3 | 72 | 64 |
| 4 | 53 | 49 |
| 5 | 48 | 48 |
| 6 | 45 | 46 |
| 7 | 48 | 49 |
| 8 | 49 | 51 |
Table 1.2
Change from 2019 to 2025 in Percentage of Students Reading on Grade Level According to School Demographics
| Grade | More Than 50% Black | More Than 50% Hispanic | More Than 50% White |
| 1 | 54-48 | 58-47 | 75-68 |
| 4 | 43-35 | 41-35 | 62-58 |
| 8 | 35-39 | 41-39 | 56-55 |
Table 1.3
Change from 2019 to 2025 in Percentage of Students Reading on Grade Level According to Median Income Level
| Grade | Less than $50,000 | $50,000 to $75,000 | More than $75,000 |
| 1 | 58-47 | 66-54 | 76-65 |
| 4 | 40-35 | 51-42 | 63-56 |
| 8 | 40-40 | 48-45 | 56-55 |
Table 1.4
Percentage of Students Reading Below Grade Level
| Grade | 2019 | 2024-2025 |
| 2 | 6 | 12 |
| 3 | 12 | 19 |
| 4 | 12 | 17 |
| 5 | 25 | 29 |
| 6 | 32 | 33 |
| 7 | 35 | 34 |
| 8 | 34 | 31 |
Table 1.5
Percentage of Students Achieving on Grade Level in Phonics
| Grade | 2019 | 2025 |
| K | 81 | 80 |
| 1 | 69 | 65 |
| 2 | 61 | 61 |
| Grade 2 Students achieving below grade level | 11 | 15 |
Reference
Curriculum Associates (2025). State of student learning in 2025. Retrieved from https://cdn.bfldr.com/LS6J0F7/at/cvqpgvm9s9j72jrngj4r3n9/ca-sosl-tech-report-2025.pdf