Fourth through seventh grade reading scores also fell
Michigan released its 2026 M-STEP results Friday after students sat for the exams in spring 2026, according to the Associated Press, which published the findings via Bridge Michigan.
Just 38.2% of third graders scored proficient in English Language Arts, down from 38.9% the previous year. The 2026 figure is the lowest third-grade reading result in the 12-year history of the M-STEP, the state’s standardized assessment.
The decline comes after state leaders have spent roughly a decade attempting to improve reading outcomes. Those efforts have included literacy coaches, optional teacher training, and a short-lived state law requiring retention of third graders who could not read at grade level, the AP/Bridge Michigan report said.
Reading proficiency also slipped among older elementary students. Fourth through seventh grade reading scores were down compared with the previous year. Across grades 3-8, just 44% of students scored proficient in reading, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of M-STEP and PSAT 8/9 tests.
The new figures arrive as Michigan schools begin to implement additional reading reforms.