Early Literacy Improvement Trends in U.S. Schools

This research brief presents data on early literacy improvements among K–2 students in the United States, highlighting trends observed during the middle of the 2023–2024 school year. The report indicates that while there has been some progress in the number of students on track for learning to read, this progress is slowing compared to previous years. Specifically, the increase in students on track for reading has dropped from four to five percent between the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 school years to only two percent between 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. The brief outlines that currently, only half of K–2 students are on track for reading proficiency, with a significant portion at risk of falling behind. The document also includes disaggregated data showing literacy trends among different demographic groups, revealing that Black and Hispanic students have made notable gains, although they still lag behind their white and Asian peers. Recommendations for schools to enhance literacy outcomes are also discussed.