Status: Getting worse
Most Recent Data:
33.3
percent
(2022)
Target:
41.5
percent
Desired Direction:
Increase desired
Baseline:
36.6 percent of 4th grade students attending public and private schools had reading skills at or above the proficient achievement level for their grade in 2017
Elementary school children with low literacy and numeracy skills often struggle academically through middle and high school. Research shows that academic success, risky behaviors, and health status are linked. Children experiencing food insecurity are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health, obesity, increased hospitalizations, poor academic performance, and behavioral problems. School lunch programs can remove barriers by providing more consistent access to free and healthy foods for students from households with lower incomes.
In 2019, 35.3 percent of 4th-grade students attending public and private schools had reading skills at or above the proficient achievement level for their grade.
