Editor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2025 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to answer this question: “What needs to happen next—at the state, district, and school levels—for the science of reading revolution to fulfill its promise and ensure that far more children learn to read well?” Learn more.
Across the nation, the momentum behind the science of reading has ushered in a new era of urgency and clarity around literacy. States are rewriting policies, districts are refocusing instruction, and communities are rallying around foundational reading skills. Yet as the Fordham Institute and other national observers have made clear, the success of this movement will not be determined by legislation alone. It will be determined by what happens in classrooms, how progress is measured, and whether students, educators, and families clearly see whether children are learning to read and reading to learn.
In Horry County Schools, South Carolina’s third-largest district, this commitment takes shape through our #RiseWithReading movement, a comprehensive effort to ensure that 95 percent of students are reading at or above grade level by 2030. This ambitious goal unites teachers, families, and community partners around one shared purpose: that literacy is the foundation of opportunity. Through systematic instruction aligned with the science of reading, transparent progress reporting, and community partnerships, we are transforming how literacy is taught, measured, monitored, and celebrated across every classroom and neighborhood in Horry County.
Despite decades of reform, only about one-third of fourth graders in America read at or above proficiency according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Persistent literacy gaps across socioeconomic and demographic groups reinforce the reality that slogans and mandates are not enough. What students need, and what educators and families deserve, is visibility, accountability, and shared ownership of progress. One of the most powerful tools to achieve this is the consistent use and public reporting of Lexile® measures and grade-level Lexile® bands.
Lexile scores provide a common language for reading development. Unlike broad labels such as “below grade level,” a Lexile measure provides precise information about the complexity of text a student can read independently and the level of support they need to stretch and grow. Grade-level Lexile bands translate these scores into clear expectations: a third grader progressing toward 645L–809L, a sixth grader toward 925L–1185L, and high school students moving toward the 1205L+ range. These targets matter because vocabulary development and exposure to increasingly complex text are non-negotiable drivers of reading success. Research from Chall and Jacobs (2003) demonstrated that when students stagnate in text complexity by late elementary school, the gap widens dramatically in middle and high school, contributing to what is often called the “fourth-grade slump.”
Lexile research from MetaMetrics further confirms that students who read consistently within their optimal Lexile range, approximately 100L below to 50L above their measured level, grow significantly faster than those reading below their ability or without targeted text support. This aligns with Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, which emphasizes learning that is challenging, supported, and intentionally scaffolded. Data-driven text selection, therefore, is not simply good practice. It is evidence-based acceleration.
The long-term stakes are equally clear. ACT College Readiness Benchmark research shows that students reading at or above approximately 1295L by graduation are far more likely to succeed in college courses, technical training, the military, and modern workforce environments. If we say our goal is for every student to graduate future-ready, then the 1295 Lexile benchmark must be more than a number; it must be a public commitment. Every family and student deserves to know where they stand relative to that goal and how to get there.
This is why, in Horry County Schools, our #RiseWithReading initiative prioritizes transparent Lexile reporting and growth monitoring across the system. Students, teachers, and families deserve a clear picture of reading progress. Our strategy is to include multiple Lexile checkpoints, public reporting on district and school dashboards, and family-friendly reports that show current levels, grade-band expectations, and growth goals. Teachers currently receive support in using Lexile data to guide text selection, plan small-group instruction, and build stamina with increasingly complex reading materials. Families receive guidance on choosing “right-fit” books and supporting reading at home.
Importantly, we are extending this work beyond the school system and into the community. In partnership with the Horry County Memorial Library system, Lexile levels will be included on the binding of children’s and youth books so families can easily select texts aligned to their child’s reading level and growth goals. When a parent walks into a public library and can immediately identify books in their child’s Lexile range, literacy becomes a community-wide effort rather than a school-only responsibility. This collaboration reinforces a powerful message to families: reading matters everywhere, not only during the school day.
This approach aligns with the broader elements of effective science of reading implementation: explicit instruction, systematic phonics, vocabulary development, comprehension strategies, and structured practice with real texts. It also reflects the research consensus that monitoring progress and providing timely feedback are among the highest-yield strategies in education (Hattie, 2017). Simply put, what we measure consistently improves. What we share publicly builds trust and invites community partnership.
This work is also fundamentally about equity. The “Matthew Effect” in literacy, articulated by Stanovich (1986), shows that strong readers accelerate over time while struggling readers fall further behind unless targeted intervention occurs early and consistently. Transparent Lexile reporting ensures that we do not lose sight of students who need more support. Equity is not merely saying “all means all.” It is building systems where every student’s reading growth is visible, supported, and celebrated.
But districts cannot do this alone. For science of reading policies to fulfill their promise, states must invest in high-quality literacy assessments, teacher training, time for data-driven planning, and clear reporting frameworks. Without fidelity and sustained focus, policy becomes poster-board rhetoric rather than student-level change. Fordham and other national voices are right to caution that laws do not teach students, teachers do. And teachers need actionable tools, clarity, and aligned systems to succeed.
Transparent Lexile reporting including clear grade-level bands, the 1295 graduation benchmark, and community alignment with the public library is more than an accountability strategy. It is a promise: Every student will leave us with the power, confidence, and opportunities that strong literacy provides.
That is how we honor the science of reading, not only with policy, but with practice, precision, partnership, and visible progress for every child.
References
Chall, J. S., & Jacobs, V. A. (2003). Poor Children's Fourth-Grade Slump. Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/poor-childrens-fourth-grade-slump
Hattie, J. A. C. (2017). 250+ influences on student achievement: Final effect size list [PDF]. Visible Learning Ltd. https://visible-learning.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/VLPLUS-252-Influences-Hattie-ranking-DEC-2017.pdf
Stanovich, K. E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 21(4), 360‑407. https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.21.4.1
