Utah Literacy Summit Highlights Persistent Reading Crisis Among Adolescents
Event summary
- NAEP data shows reading scores for 13-year-olds at 1970s levels, highlighting persistent literacy challenges in middle school.
- Reading Horizons and Ken Garff for Good convened Utah leaders on June 17 to address adolescent literacy gaps.
- Literacy in Transition Report surveyed 2,648 educators, finding 76.7% report over 25% of students reading below grade level.
- 84.3% of educators believe older striving readers can catch up with targeted support.
- Utah's 2026 legislative session focused on K-3 literacy, but new data argues for expanded investment in grades 6-12.
The big picture
The NAEP data underscores a national literacy crisis extending into adolescence, while Utah's targeted investments highlight a growing recognition of the need for structured literacy programs across all grade levels. Reading Horizons' role in this conversation positions it as a key player in the evidence-based literacy movement, with potential for expanded policy influence and market reach. The Literacy in Transition Report provides critical data that could reshape secondary education funding priorities.
What we're watching
- Policy Expansion
- Whether Utah will extend its literacy investment beyond K-3 following the Literacy in Transition Report findings.
- Program Scalability
- The pace at which evidence-based literacy programs like Reading Horizons' Ascend can be adopted nationwide.
- Educator Training
- How secondary schools will address the identified gap in age-appropriate materials and foundational skills training.