An alarming report shows that nearly half of young children in Utah cannot read at their grade level, with deficiencies showing up across the state and not found in one or two areas.
The report issued Monday by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah detailed how a large percentage of K-3 students in Utah have failed to meet grade-level expectations.
Among the numbers released in the study is data showcasing how just 50.3 percent of third graders are achieving grade-level proficiency. The report said that students who have a command of reading by the third-grade “progress through coursework more effectively, graduate at higher rates, and experience stronger long-term employment and health outcomes.”…