It’s been well-established that students who can’t read by the third grade are more likely to struggle academically as they get older, drop out of high school, and have challenges in the workplace as adults. Difficulties with literacy only compound as students get older, but there are fewer supports to help them make up the deficit, including teachers who aren’t equipped to address their fundamental gaps in understanding.[1]
The EdWeek Research Center conducted a nationally representative poll between September 24 and November 3, 2025 of almost 700 educators; 58% of those surveyed indicated that 25% or more of their middle and high school students struggle with basic reading.
There are likely a number of reasons for that finding: Older students who weren’t taught using evidence-based methods, pandemic-related instructional gaps, and declines in independent reading among kids and teens.
As students move from elementary to middle school, they increasingly need to be able to extract knowledge from texts; it serves as the linchpin to all other learning. If they struggle with reading, however, that can cause them to also fall behind in math, science, and social studies.
There are problems, though, in remediating the problem. First, older students who struggle to comprehend what they read need developmentally appropriate books engaging for their age group, which aren’t always available. Second, it can be hard for middle schools, with their more structured schedules, to find time for reading interventions. And third, middle school English/language arts teachers often lack training in foundational literacy skills, since these are taught in the early grades, and teachers of other subjects may not fully appreciate how literacy factors into their classes.
ExcelinEd, an educational think tank, developed a model state policy for advancing adolescent literacy. It calls for regularly administered reading assessments; individual reading plans for students who haven’t mastered certain literacy concepts; training for both educators and administrators in content-specific literacy skills; reading specialists in all schools; tiered programs to offer more intense interventions for students who have more extensive deficits; and incorporating concepts like phonological awareness, morphology, and reading comprehension into secondary teacher-preparation programs.[1]
Though there’s a prevailing opinion that students should have learned these concepts by this point, middle school leaders are often willing to take on the additional responsibility when they understand how students’ literacy deficits affect their academic experience as a whole. A student might not hate the subject, they might just be struggling to understand the information presented in the text.
Virginia leads the states in addressing the problem. In 2023, it amended its literacy law, extending most of its provisions through the eighth grade and adding the most comprehensive requirements for older readers of any state. The Virginia Literacy Act requires screening assessments to identify the concepts struggling readers need help with, individualized reading plans, in-school reading specialists, teacher training, and research-based curricula for students in grades 4-8. The law requires all the state’s districts to create literacy plans that outline how they will carry out these mandates.
Other states have passed or proposed legislation that is less comprehensive or more targeted in scope.
In 2024, Iowa created a law that requires personalized reading intervention plans for students in kindergarten through sixth grade who can’t read at grade level. A 2024 Indiana law requires the state’s department of education to develop a screener to identify students in fourth through eighth grade who need additional reading support. New Mexico requires ELA and special education teachers for grades 6-12 to take a 55-hour course on fundamental literacy concepts.
It’s also important for state reading efforts to be preventative, nurturing reading skills as students advance rather than targeting problems after-the-fact. Many reading advocates are watching closely as Virginia implements its law, hoping it will inform other states’ future efforts to extend reading supports to older students.
Citation:
[1] Blad, Evie. (November 24, 2025). “State Reading Laws Focus on K-3. What About Older Students Who Struggle?” Education Week. Retrieved from
