Reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade matters

Reading proficient 3rd graders are more likely to enroll in rigorous courses, graduate high school and pursue a postsecondary degree

According to the Florida Department of Education, 53% of 3rd graders scored a 3 or higher on the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) for Reading. The state measures student reading proficiency on a 1-5 scale.

“There are important milestones along the education continuum that are indicative of future success, and third grade reading is one of them,” said Paul J. Luna, President and CEO of Helios Education Foundation. Students who meet this benchmark are more likely to enroll in rigorous courses, graduate high school, and pursue a postsecondary degree. Conversely, data proves students who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade fall short on other academic benchmarks as well.  

While state education leaders are quick to note the 2022 percentage of students who scored a 3 or higher is only down by one percent from last year, these results indicate 3rd graders continue to struggle with proficiency. In fact, a reading score of 3 is not “proficient”. Level 3 indicates a “satisfactory” FSA score but also indicates the student may need additional support to fully engage at the next academic level. Students who score at level 4 are deemed “proficient” and likely to excel in the next grade. A level 5 score indicates mastery.

Disaggregated data indicates minority students continue to lag behind their White peers. 65% of White students scored at or above level 3 in 2022, a percentage that far exceeds Hispanic (49%) and African American (37%) students. Most troubling is the percent of students who scored at level 1, indicating an “Inadequate” FSA score. These students are highly likely to need substantial support to engage at the next grade level. 37% of African American students and 28% of Hispanic students scored at level 1.

“Our investments in early learning and teacher professional development aim to address the gaps that exist for low-income and African American and Black students,” said Luna. “In partnership with the Florida Grade Level Reading Campaign and the Pinellas Education Foundation, among other partners, Helios is focused on providing professional development to educators and to ensuring all students have the means to improve their academic outcomes. Third grade reading proficiency is only one milestone along a student’s path to postsecondary success.”

Helios’ five-year impact plan focuses on closing education equity gaps and improving postsecondary degree attainment among low-income and African American and Black students in Florida.  Helios will focus intervention efforts to support historically underserved students with emphasis on 3rd grade reading, college enrollment, and college completion. By leveraging data and research, investing in promising initiatives, and advocating for systemic reforms, Helios aims to address historic inequities in education and close the postsecondary degree attainment gap.

Helios has supported the needs of underrepresented students since 2004. The Foundation’s impact plan outlines with clarity and urgency its student success metrics.  “What we do in the next five years will impact student outcomes for the next 25 years,” concluded Luna.