Illinois lowered its standards in 2025, but over half of third graders still couldn’t read at grade level. It’s a critical milestone. See how your students did.
By Hannah Schmid | Illinois Policy Institute
Even under loosened proficiency standards, over half of Illinois third graders couldn’t read at grade level in 2025.
How well did your local public school prepare children to read by the critical third-grade milestone?
Assessment data from spring 2025 shows Illinois students across grades continued to struggle to read.
But the data is particularly concerning when it comes to third graders.
If a child has not learned to read by the end of third grade, that child is likely to struggle throughout his or her education. That’s because fourth grade is when students move from learning to read to reading as their main method of learning.
Clearly, there is a literacy crisis in Illinois, and it threatens the future of Illinois’ children.
Read more here.
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