Literacy levels have gone up across the board for kindergarteners, first- and second-graders in the Montgomery County Public Schools system, according to the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment test results released by the school system.
The DIBELS assessment consists of short tests that measure phonics, reading fluency and other literacy skills, depending on the age group.
The fall 2023 DIBELS assessment results showed 49.9% of kindergarten students, 58.0% of first-graders, and 60.4% of second-grade students met or went above benchmark status.
That’s up from fall 2022, when results showed 47.0% of kindergarten students, 52.5% of first-graders and, 56.0% of second-graders met or went above benchmark literacy goals for their age group.
MCPS School Superintendent Monifa McKnight said the positive outcomes reflect the dedication of educators and the effectiveness of targeted interventions.
Students from low-income families showed a 7.6 percentage point increase in DIBELS results.
From fall 2022 to fall 2023 there was also an improvement in DIBELS results across racial/ethnic groups: 75.9% vs. 77.4% Asian, 56.4% vs. 61.5% Black or African American, 28.6% vs. 34.6% Hispanic/Latino, 64.7% vs. 69.9% Two or More Races; and 65.8% vs. 68.6% White.
