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¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2028: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across all time periods combined, 52 percent of students were ever classified as below benchmark or at any level of risk, 27 percent at the highest risk levels, and 12–18 percent as potentially at risk of dyslexia on assessments providing such measures. → Mariann Lemke 2023

Evidence¶

Mariann Lemke 2023¶

Mariann Lemke, Dan Murphy, Aaron Soo Ping Chow, Hayley Spencer, and Angela Zhang. (2023). A First Look at Early Literacy Performance in Massachusetts: Results of Initial Analysis Based on State Grantee Literacy Screening Assessments. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED638580

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Descriptive analysis of literacy screening benchmark scores from state grantees for 2020/21 and 2021/22, representing about 10 percent of the state's K–3 population; the report states "52 percent of students were ever classified as below benchmark or showing any level of risk of reading difficulty."

"Across all time periods combined (beginning, middle, and end of year), 52 percent of students were ever classified as below benchmark or showing any level of risk of reading difficulty. About 27 percent of students were at the highest levels of risk as defined by each assessment."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• 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 — 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
• K–3 students in Massachusetts grantee schools with the highest percentages of historically marginalized student groups were more likely to be below literacy benchmark at least once and to stay below across the year — related
• Most students below benchmark at the beginning of the year remained below at the end, with persistence highest for historically marginalized student groups (67–80 percent) — related
• Low income, English learner, special education, Black, and Hispanic students were more likely to be classified significantly below benchmark at each time period and more than once — related
• Economically disadvantaged, English learner, special education, Black, and Hispanic students were more likely than peers to be ever below benchmark — related
• Risk status is largely stable within the year, but 40 percent of students at risk at beginning of year met benchmark by end of year, and students on track by middle of year were significantly more likely to meet the end-of-year benchmark — related
• Special education service concentration showed divergent patterns: similar ever-below-benchmark rates across quartiles but much higher persistence below benchmark in high-concentration schools — related