Building on Progress: Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction in Michigan

District administrators in Michigan are facing widening literacy learning gaps that often prevent gains in student progress and assessment outcomes. This infographic illustrates how, despite these literacy gaps, fourth graders are making some progress—and Lexia® Core5® Reading is facilitating significant skills development.

Among the examples of Michigan’s literacy progress are the following fourth grade outcomes:

• The percentage of fourth grade students whose Michigan Student Test of Education Progress (M-STEP) scores indicate that their reading skills are not proficient has declined slightly. The percentage of fourth graders who are not proficient fell from 36.8% in 2021–2022 to 36.3% in 2024–2025.

• The percentage of Michigan’s fourth graders whose reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were proficient or higher remained statistically unchanged between 2022 and 2024. In 2022, 28% of students were proficient or higher; in 2024, 25% scored at this level.

At the same time, Core5 outcomes reveal marked progress in literacy skills development. For example, in 2024–2025, students working on skills at or above grade level in Core5 increased by 18 percentage points. Students working on skills two or more grade levels below grade level decreased by 24 percentage points.

Built on the science of reading, Core5 is a research-proven program that accelerates the development of literacy skills for K–5 students of all abilities, helping them make the critical shift from learning to read to reading to learn.

Lexia® researchers studying Core5 performance at a large suburban school district in Michigan found that achievement in Core5 strongly correlated with M-STEP scale scores and aligned with outcomes. Discover how Core5 can help your students strengthen literacy skills, building on gains and improving outcomes.