Title: Over 60% of Third-Grade Students in Arizona Read Below Expected Level, Impacting Learning Outcomes

More than 60% of third-grade students in Arizona read below the expected level, a situation that impacts their learning and long-term academic success.

According to data from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), 36% of Arizona’s third grade students scored at or above proficiency on the state’s English Language Arts (ELA) assessment in 2025, a decline of three percentage points from the previous year and ten points below pre-pandemic levels.

The ELA assessment is an important benchmark for our students’ literacy skills, encompassing reading, language, and writing. Third grade is a crucial milestone, as research shows that students who don’t learn to read well by the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma or the skills and abilities needed for success in Arizona’s future workforce.

“These test scores are more evidence that Arizona has to go all-in on literacy,” said Terri Clark, who leads the collaborative work of Read On Arizona. “It should be a top priority for leaders across our state.”

Partners in Read On Arizona have launched Arizona Literacy Plan 2030, which outlines the strategies needed to improve third grade reading scores, such as training our early grade educators in the most effective ways to teach reading and supporting them with coaching to put their training into practice in the classroom. Its goal is for 72% of Arizona’s third graders to be proficient readers by 2030.

“We have the right plan with the right strategies,” said Sean Ross, Executive Director of the Arizona State Board of Education. “They’re working in other states. Arizona has just been slower to bring them to scale.”

“We are focused on improving student outcomes in reading by supporting educators with the tools, training, and coaching they need to teach reading effectively,” said Linda Burrows, Deputy Associate Superintendent of Academic Standards at ADE.

The Arizona Education Progress Meter, composed of eight indicators or metrics, provides an annual look at how the state is doing in education from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary attainment. The most recent update shows that third-grade reading proficiency remains a critical challenge, with current data at 41% for the 2023 cohort, unchanged from the previous year and well below the 2030 goal of 72%.