Ohio's spring 2026 state reading tests show modest gains, according to results released this week. About 63% of third graders scored proficient, up from 61% in 2025. That figure remains below the 65% recorded in 2024, when the state's science of reading law was being phased in, and below pre-pandemic levels.
Proficiency across all grades combined reached 62%, nearly two percentage points higher than the previous year. Every demographic group the state tracks improved, led by Hispanic and Black students at 3.5 and 3.4 percentage points respectively, and economically disadvantaged students at 2.7 points.
The 2023 law required schools to abandon cueing methods in favor of phonics-based instruction, mandated teacher training and restricted schools to state-approved materials. The 2025-26 year was the first in which every school had to comply.
Aaron Churchhill of the Fordham Institute, which supports the law, said it is too early to draw conclusions and urged continued patience. Ohio Excels President Lisa Gray called the gains encouraging but noted nearly four in ten students remain below proficiency.
A countervailing data point: 21% of third graders scored at the state's lowest rating, "limited," compared with 20.9% in 2025 and 19.1% in 2023. Fordham wants lawmakers to reinstate the Third Grade Reading Guarantee retention requirement, which the state dropped.
The Elyria district, west of Cleveland, saw third grade proficiency rise from roughly 45% to 52%. Associate Superintendent Courtney Griffiths cautioned that sustaining the improvement will require ongoing effort.