End-of-Year Report on Early Literacy Progress

This technical report presents end-of-year data on early literacy progress for students in grades K–2, highlighting improvements in reading scores and the presence of gender disparities. The data indicates that overall, more young learners are on track to read, with significant increases in the percentage of students meeting benchmarks compared to the 2020–21 school year. Specifically, 70% of kindergarten and first-grade students are at or above benchmark, while 65% of second graders meet the same criteria. However, the report notes that year-over-year improvements have slowed, with only incremental gains observed since the 2023–24 school year. The analysis also reveals a complex picture regarding gender disparities; while boys start with equal or better reading readiness scores, girls demonstrate greater improvement throughout the school year, often outperforming boys by the end of the year. The report underscores the importance of continued focus on early literacy development as schools prepare for the upcoming academic year.