K-3 Students Continue to Make Strides in Foundational Literacy Skills

As the science of reading reaches full implementation in North Carolina, new data presented to the State Board of Education today shows that K-3 students are making significant progress in being on track and narrowing the racial achievement gap when it comes to literacy.

Beginning-of-year data from the DIBELS 8 (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment shows that North Carolina students outperformed their peers on a national level in grades 1-3, while grades K-3 continue to show steady improvement.

This year marks the first time that the percentage of North Carolina’s Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students who are on track in reading has surpassed the national benchmark. Within North Carolina, the achievement gap has narrowed between those groups and their White and Asian peers.

While North Carolina kindergarteners start school in the fall behind others in the nation, as shown in beginning-of-year data from the last three years, they are rising above those peers after a year or two of instruction using the newly implemented methods based on the science of reading.

Since 2021-22, more than 44,000 teachers, administrators and coaches have mastered the K-5 or early childhood Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, or LETRS®, professional development course, equating to over 6.5 million hours of professional development.

LETRS equips K-3 teachers with instructional tools based on decades of literacy research grounded in the science of reading. The final cohort of teachers completed their LETRS training in June.

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said taking students from at-risk to excelling is proof positive that North Carolina’s investment in the science of reading is paying off.

“We are not used to seeing this kind of growth in second and third grades, in particular. If you look at the cohort of students who started kindergarten in 2022-23, only 28 percent started school on track in literacy. By this year, when they’re in second grade, the percentage of those same students ready for grade-level work has nearly doubled,” Truitt said. “It is a testament to the dedicated educators in our state who have poured hours and hours into LETRS professional development that we are seeing such exponential growth. I have no doubt that as they gain more experience and pedagogical tools steeped in the science of reading, student growth will continue to accelerate.”

Students in grades K-3 take the DIBELS 8 assessment three times a year – at the beginning, middle and end of the academic year – to measure their progress over time. It consists of a set of measures designed to evaluate component skills involved in reading.

The data shows that 48,189 fewer students are below benchmark at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year than the same time in 2021-22. Additionally, 57,4498 more students are at or above benchmark.

The number of students designated as “reading retained” has decreased by more than 40 percent during the same period. Students are considered “reading retained” if they are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade.

Compared to 2021-22, 8 percent more Black  students and 9 percent more American Indian/Alaska Native students are measuring as “on track” in 2024-25. Gains for White and Asian students were 6 percent and 5 percent, respectively, during that timeframe.

However, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic students continue to lag behind their White and Asian peers.

Amy Rhyne, director of the Office of Early Learning at the Department of Public Instruction, said she expects to see more progress on these metrics as both students and their teachers become familiar with the science of reading.

“As with any new initiative, there is a learning curve for educators and students as they adjust to this new, research-backed approach to literacy. Completing the LETRS training provided a strong foundation upon which our teachers can build better outcomes for students,” Rhyne said. “As with building a house, the foundation – though critically important – is just the start. With solid literacy skills underfoot, our K-3 students are primed to develop the more complex competencies that will allow them to reach greater heights as they grow.”