The percentage of Massachusetts K–3 students identified as significantly below benchmark decreased from 36 percent at BOY to 29 percent at EOY in 2022/23¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2029: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across grades, identification as significantly below benchmark fell from 36 percent at BOY to 29 percent at EOY; 45 percent were ever classified and 31 percent multiple times. → Mariann Lemke 2024

Evidence¶

Mariann Lemke 2024¶

Mariann Lemke, Dan Murphy, Aaron Soo Ping Chow, and Angela Acuña. (2024). Early Literacy Performance in Massachusetts: Results of Ongoing Analysis of Literacy Screening Assessments. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED663754

q2 · i? · associational · r3

Ongoing analysis of 2022/23 literacy screening data from about 67,000 K–3 students in 308 schools and 88 districts. The report states "45 percent of students were ever classified as significantly below benchmark" and 31 percent multiple times.

"The percentage of students significantly below benchmark decreased from 36 percent at BOY to 29 percent at EOY. Across all grades and all assessment time periods combined, 45 percent of students were ever classified as significantly below benchmark."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Most students identified as significantly below benchmark on early literacy screeners remain significantly below benchmark 1 and 2 years later — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Across grades K–3, the percentage of students below literacy benchmarks decreases more from BOY to EOY in earlier grades than in grade 3 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Kindergarten students showed the largest BOY-to-EOY decline in significant risk identification, dropping 21 percentage points — related
• Massachusetts students overall perform above the national average on screening assessments, with a median national percentile of 58 at EOY and 66 percent growing at average or above-average rates — related
• Across beginning, middle, and end of year time periods, 52 percent of Massachusetts K–3 grantees' students were ever classified as at any level of reading risk, about 27 percent at the highest risk levels, and 12 to 18 percent as potentially at risk of dyslexia — related
• In Massachusetts K-3 screening data, roughly one quarter to one third of students are significantly below benchmark at any given period and 16 to 19 percent are below benchmark in all three periods, rates consistent over three years — related
• About one third of Massachusetts K–3 students were identified as significantly below benchmark at least once in 2023/24, with 19 percent identified in all three periods — related
• About 60 percent of students significantly below benchmark at BOY remained so at EOY, and improving to benchmark by MOY predicted meeting benchmark at EOY — related
• Risk status tends to persist: 75 percent of students significantly below benchmark at BOY remained so at EOY, and earlier grades showed lower year-to-year persistence — related