More than a decade after Oklahoma lawmakers voted to stop holding back third-grade students who couldn’t read at grade level, ...

Experts say early literacy gaps don’t just affect academics — they can shape long-term outcomes well beyond the classroom.

The state aims to see 70% of its third graders reading at grade level by 2027. So far, only about half are hitting the mark.

There are thousands of students in Indiana who were in 3rd grade last school year and did not advance to the 4th grade this school year. The IREAD retention law now requires 3rd grade students to be ...

The first major moment in a child’s schooling — what many educators call the "make-or-break" year for literacy — is third grade. By the end of third grade, students are expected to transition from ...

Arkansas students entering the third grade at public schools and open enrollment charter schools this fall will be the first cohort to be retained if they don’t meet literacy expectations, a policy ...

Indiana third graders’ reading proficiency improved at a record-breaking rate in 2025, putting students’ scores on par with pre-pandemic levels. Statewide, 87.3% of third graders scored proficient on ...

A new Oklahoma bill inspired by Mississippi's success aims to improve literacy by retaining third-graders who fail reading tests and implementing summer academies.

New data shows 87.3% of Hoosier third graders demonstrated proficient reading skills on the IREAD exam in 2024-25. (Getty Images) Indiana’s latest reading assessment scores showed the largest ...