Learning Foundations

Literacy is the foundation of a student’s educational career. From pre-K to 3rd grade, students learn to read. By 4th grade, students read to learn.
Literacy
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The Problem

Reading proficiency by the end of 3rd grade can be a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s educational career.

According to the National Research Council, “academic success, as defined by high school graduation, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing someone’s reading skill at the end of third grade. A person who is not at least a modestly skilled reader by that time is unlikely to graduate from high school.”(1)

E3 Alliance analysis of STAAR scores reveals that 3rd-grade reading outcomes vary by race, gender, and household income.

We must close the opportunity gaps between our Black and Hispanic students and our White students and between students from low-income and non-low-income households.

(1) 12 National Research Council. (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Edited by C. Snow, S. Burns, and P. Griffin, Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Data & Trends

Data
Central Texas
Central Texas students from low-income households met 3rd grade reading standard half as much as students not from low-income households.
Percent of students that met standard on STAAR grade 3 reading, by household income, 2022, Central Texas
In 2022, only 34% of students from low-income households in Central Texas met STAAR Grade 3 Reading standards. Whereas, 70% of students not from low-income households met reading standards.
Source: E3 Alliance analysis of STAAR data at The University of Texas at Austin Education Research Center​
Data
Central Texas
Disparities exist in educational outcomes by race/ethnicity. Only 38% of Central Texas Black students and 40% of Hispanic students met 3rd grade reading standard in 2022.
Percent of students that met standard on STAAR grade 3 Reading, by race/ethnicity, 2022, Central Texas
38% of black students and 40% of hispanic students met 3rd grade reading standards in Central Texas. Asian students met reading standards at 80%, whereas white students met standards at 70%.
Source: E3 Alliance analysis of STAAR reading data from the Education Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin

Ongoing Strategies

Our unique strengths—collaborating with our partners around the data—are fundamental to solving literacy opportunity gaps.

Over the next five years, E3 Alliance will work with statewide coalitions to align our research efforts. We’ve already built our research-based Literacy Rubric to improve campus systems. We’ll continue to use this as a guide to convene our partners and identify critical literacy policies and practices. We’ll also work with our partners to craft and test recommendations to advance teaching methods and improve access.

 

Work with E3

Is your campus or district struggling with meeting literacy requirements? E3 Alliance offers tailored coaching and professional learning services to help educators tackle big problems and transform schools for the better.
Learn About Our Services

Resources

Resource
PDF

Literacy Rubric

Literacy is a significant benchmark in a child's education. The E3 Alliance Literacy Rubric is a holistic tool for schools to improve their literacy systems. Using this rubric centers on supporting both teachers and students to improve performance.
E3 Alliance Literacy Rubric
Download the Literacy Rubric PDF (8.04 MB)
Resource
PDF

Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters: A Kids Count Special Report

"Early Warning: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters" draws a link between reading skills and success later in life. Also addressed in this report are the connections between ongoing academic difficulties and graduation rates.
Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters
Download Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters Report PDF (11.74 MB)