Michigan reading scores drop again. State superintendent: ‘We need to improve’
Isabel Lohman, Lori Higgins, Chalkbeat Detroit:
- Michigan reading scores are down across grades 3-7
- State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko says scores need to improve
- Michigan is implementing several literacy changes, but many are in the early stages of implementation
Michigan third grade reading scores continued to slide in the state’s most recent standardized tests this year, even as schools begin to implement reading reforms.
Just 38.2% of third grade students in Michigan are proficient in English Language Arts, down from 38.9% the previous year, according to results released Friday from the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, commonly known as the M-STEP. Students took the tests in spring 2026.
It’s the lowest third graders have scored in the 12-year history of the exam. The news comes after leaders have tried for a decade to improve reading scores with literacy coaches, optional teacher training and a short-lived law to retain struggling third graders.
Meanwhile, fourth through seventh grade reading scores are also down from the previous year. Just 44% of students grades 3-8 are proficient in reading, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of M-STEP and PSAT 8/9 tests.
“We need to improve the results of all these assessments for our students moving forward,” said State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. “Michigan proficiency rates are not where we want them to be. We must increase proficiency rates in all subjects and areas, and in all grades. And we must do this over time, showing steady improvement in all areas.”
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