New K-3 literacy data shows growth in skills for North Carolina students

More K-3 students are on track when it comes to gaining literacy skills, according to new data from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) — a trend that has continued since science of reading implementation officially began during the 2021-22 school year.

Beginning-of-the-year testing data shows that students in first through third grade again “outperformed their peers on a national level,” DPI said in a press release, with kindergarteners continuing to show steady improvement.

The data, which was presented to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, also shows that the state is “narrowing the racial achievement gap when it comes to literacy,” the release 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,” state Superintendent Catherine Truitt said. “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.” 

According to the data, nearly 50,000 fewer students are below benchmark now than in 2021-22. Nearly 58,000 more students are at benchmark than from 2021-22 — the first year North Carolina used the Amplify DIBELS 8 Formative Reading Diagnostic Assessment and mCLASS tool, which Amplify officials said aligns better with the science of reading.

The number of students designated as “reading retained” at the start of the school year has also continued to decrease — by 40% since 2021-22, per DPI. Students are considered “reading retained” if they are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade. 

The state requires every teacher to administer the literacy assessment using Amplify’s mCLASS tool at least three times a year — once at the beginning, once in the middle, and once at the end of the year.

This year’s data showed high levels of growth for second and third graders in particular, Truitt said.

“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,” she said.

According to DPI, this year’s data 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.”

Compared to 2021-22, 8% more Black students and 9% more American Indian/Alaska Native students are measuring as “on track” in 2024-25, DPI said. Gains for white and Asian students were 6% and 5%, respectively, during the same time period.

Here is a look at demographic data overtime for K-3 students.

North Carolina public schools began training the first cohort of districts and teachers in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) during the 2021-22 school year.

In June, the third and final cohort of teachers successfully completed LETRS training, totaling more than 44,000 K-5 educators.

Officials from DPI previously said it is likely that the state will fully know results from these efforts when the first class of kindergartners taught with the science of reading reaches third grade, during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

During the short session, DPI also requested funding from the General Assembly to expand literacy support for fourth to eighth grade students. The department also requested funds to expand professional development platform Lexia Aspire for all content educators in grades six through eight.

On Wednesday, DPI’s Amy Rhyne said she expects further progress in literacy skills as students and their teachers alike become more 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,” said Rhyne, DPI’s director of the Office of Early Learning. “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.” 

You can view DPI’s full presentation on the new data here. You can also learn more about the science of reading and Amplify test in this EdNC article from last April.