Reading Scores for Lowest-Performing Middle Schoolers Continue to Slide, New NWEA Study Says

Study highlights state policy efforts showing promise in addressing middle school reading outcomes

BOSTON, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, released a new study today showing that middle school reading performance has not rebounded since the pandemic and continues to decline among the nation's lowest-achieving students.

The new study draws on data from the MAP Growth National Dashboard, which includes test scores from more than 20 million K-8 students in 30,000+ U.S. schools. NWEA's researchers compared sixth-grade reading scores between 2017 and 2025 for students in the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles. In addition, they examined whether the MAP Growth middle school reading trends replicated on two other national reading assessments.

Key findings:

• In contrast to signs of progress toward academic recovery in math and in elementary reading, middle school reading test scores have stagnated for the average student and have continued to drop among struggling readers.
• Across multiple assessments, reading test scores for the lowest-achieving middle school students continued dropping after 2022.

"These results highlight an urgent challenge for policymakers, educators and school leaders to focus attention and support on the lowest-performing middle school readers who continue to struggle post-pandemic," said Dr. Megan Kuhfeld, Director of Growth Modeling and Data Analytics at NWEA. "This crisis for struggling middle school readers requires a shift from isolated interventions toward coherent, system-level approaches that align curriculum, assessment, instruction and professional learning from kindergarten through middle school."

The new research brief outlines several state policy approaches that are showing promise:

• Sustain and deepen K–3 literacy as the foundation for long-term reading recovery. Examples include Mississippi's improvement in fourth-grade reading outcomes and Louisiana's prioritization of early literacy.
• Extend early-reading initiatives into a comprehensive K–8 literacy system. Examples include Maryland's draft pre-K12 Comprehensive Literacy Policy; Mississippi's new requirement to update state standards for literacy K-8, access to core instruction and a comprehensive assessment system; and Minnesota's READ Act.
• Implement targeted literacy assessments and interventions in grades 4–8. Examples include Minnesota's requirement to screen students in grades 4-12 for advanced foundational literacy skills, and Indiana's new legislation to establish a system for identifying struggling readers in grades 4–8.
• Scale high-quality instructional materials aligned with literacy research and assessment. Examples include Indiana's list of recommended core English Language Arts programs for middle school grades, and Ohio's similar approach of elevating curriculum quality.
• Invest in professional learning focused on upper-grade literacy instruction for teachers of all subjects. Examples include Michigan's statewide processes of adopting high-quality literacy materials paired with professional learning that supports teachers, and Oregon's Adolescent Literacy Framework, which sets the state's vision to strengthen literacy instruction across disciplines.

Read the full research brief: https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/struggling-adolescent-readers-left-behind-evidence-of-post-covid-19-declines-and-pathways-forward/ 

About NWEA

NWEA®, a division of HMH, supports educators worldwide by providing responsive, evidence-based assessment solutions that illuminate learning needs and fuel student growth. For more than 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K–12 assessments, including its flagship assessment – MAP Growth, and professional learning that helps educators strengthen their practice and improve student outcomes. As part of its commitment to bring valuable insights to the education community, NWEA engages in research that examines issues that shed light on inequities and other barriers to academic opportunities. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA partners to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Communications Director, [email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA