Third grade is the time when students shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” It is desired that students should read proficiently by the end of third grade because in fourth grade, they will be exposed to a broader range of texts. This switch is also because while in a child’s early years they are just starting out as new readers, it is intended that as they grow older they will become more independent and critical readers, which will help them in their future studies. Unfortunately, this will be difficult for many New Jersey students to achieve when more than half of third graders in the state are not at or above proficiency in reading. There are several consequences to children not being able to read by fourth grade, some of which include less likelihood for the students to complete high school or enroll in college, and an increased struggle to keep up with their peers.
What does the data show?
After the Covid-19 pandemic, in-person instruction resumed in schools again, as did the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments. The state-mandated standardized testing took place in the Spring of the 2021-22 school year. Students were tested in English Language Arts and Math, while grades five, eight, and 11 were tested on Science as well. The tests aim to evaluate student performance on concepts and skills related to their grade level. In 2021-22, only 42% of third graders were meeting or exceeding expectations statewide on the English Language Arts portion of the NJSLA, while 45% met or exceeded expectations in Math. After the scores were released, many attributed the results to learning loss due to the pandemic since in 2018-19, 50% of third graders met or exceeded expectations for English Language Arts and 55% for Math. Many were rightfully concerned with these results and made calls to action to improve literacy in New Jersey. Despite this, during the following year, the English Language Arts results remained unchanged while Math had a small increase of 1%.
Data featured in the 2024 Kids Count Data Book from Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) shows the same trend for fourth graders as well. In 2022, 38% of fourth graders in New Jersey were proficient in reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a decrease from the 42% in 2019. If unfamiliar with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), it is “known as the nation’s report card [and] has measured student achievement since 1969 in every state in reading, mathematics, science, the arts, history, and other subjects” as described in the AECF 2024 Kids Count Data Book. It is important to note that children are not defined by their test scores but these assessments give insight into how they are struggling and should serve as a wake up call to dig into how to resolve this issue.
