Literacy skills improving among North Carolina elementary school students

North Carolina’s elementary schoolers are improving their reading skills according to new data presented to the state board of education on Wednesday. 

The data is based on an assessment called Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. 

At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, only 38% of North Carolina students were on track to enter first grade based on that test. That was 7% below the national average.

But the latest scores put these NC students ahead of the country, said Amy Rhyne with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. 

“North Carolina students in grades one through three have more than doubled their gains when it comes to the number of students on track and ready for core instruction at the beginning of the year," Rhyne said. "So our teachers are doing a great job as they're learning to apply the professional knowledge that they've gained to continue to improve foundational reading skills.”

While there are still racial disparities in achievement, Rhyne said the number of Black and American Indian students on track for their grade level each increased by 13% over the same time period. Hispanic students saw a 10% increase.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.