The results underscore the depth and persistence of literacy challenges facing today's middle school students. While much of the national conversation has focused on early grades, new research makes clear the crisis doesn't stop when students leave elementary school.
On June 17, Reading Horizons, a Kaysville-based literacy company, and Ken Garff for Good facilitated a candid, research-led conversation on what striving readers in grades 6-12 need.
“Utah's kids are our greatest investment,” said Utah First Lady Abby Cox. “That doesn't change when they leave elementary school. Today’s convening is proof that we have people at every level working to do right by our children. Our community is committed to every reader, at every age.”
The event offered attendees an in-depth look at the Literacy in Transition Report, original national research drawing on survey responses from 2,648 educators across 49 states. Key findings show that:
- 76.7% report more than a quarter of their students are reading below grade level.
- 54% identify missing foundational skills, not motivation or comprehension, as the primary barrier.
- 84.3% believe older striving readers can catch up with the right support.
The report is equally clear on what's standing in the way. Secondary educators say they lack age-appropriate materials and training to teach foundational skills to older students. The good news: among educators already using evidence-based literacy, the impact is real and it compounds the longer schools stick with it.
"When we look at the data, a pattern emerges that teachers already recognize from their classrooms: older students who struggle to read are missing critical foundational skills,” said Dr. Shantell Blake, EdD, VP of Education and Outreach at Reading Horizons. “The survey data confirms this. So does the research on root causes. What changes when you understand that is how you respond: instruction has to meet students where they actually are, not where we assume they should be.”
While Utah's 2026 legislative session produced significant K-3 investment, including new individualized reading plans and a statewide goal of 80% third-grade proficiency by 2030, the Literacy in Transition Report makes the case that structured literacy investment must extend further.