Grade Level Reading

Utah's Definition of "Reading on Grade Level"

The idea of “reading on grade level” means different things to different people. It does not have a single, agreed-upon definition, and it varies greatly across the country. For Utah schools, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) recently (2026) simplified the definition of elementary grade level reading. The new definition is the following:

The student achieved a score on the Acadience Reading screener test that places them in the "at benchmark" (AKA "green") or "above benchmark" (AKA "blue") category.

Utah uses the Acadience Reading screener in grades kindergarten through third grade. This assessment is not a test of grade level reading, but rather a screener intended to identify students who need additional reading support. In the absence of a proper grade level reading test, the USBE decided to use the existing Acadience test to approximate reading on grade level.

The Acadience  "at benchmark" or green category means that the student has a 70-85% likelihood of hitting the next reading target. And the  "above benchmark" (blue) category means that the student has a 90-99% likelihood of hitting the next reading target.

The “reading on grade level” cut-scores--which corresponds to the "at  benchmark" (green) category--equates to the 36th - 33rd  percentile nationally, meaning we would expect 64% - 67% of students to be at or above these scores. Utah’s old standard was one of the highest in the nation, creating a misperception that most Utah children could not read. This new criterion for reading on grade level places Utah’s standard right in line with the average national standard. In 2025 69.8% of Utah’s K-3 students were meeting this standard. The statewide goal is to increase this number to 80% by the year 2030.

See below for the breakdown of grade level reading cut-scores for Grades 1, 2, and 3.

Click here to read more about what Acadience scores mean.

Click here for a public version of this grade level reading information that is also printable

Grade 1

The first grade reading cut-score for "at benchmark" (green), and therefore grade level, is an Acadience score of 155. This means the student has 70% or greater likelihood of hitting the next reading target. This score is also the 36th percentile of first graders nationally, meaning that this score is the same as or better than 36% of first graders across the nation. We would expect 64% of students nationally to achieve a score above this cut-score.

Grade 2

The second grade reading cut-score for "at benchmark" (green), and therefore grade level, is an Acadience score of 238. This means the student has 70% or greater likelihood of hitting the next reading target. This score is the 35th percentile of first graders nationally, meaning that this score is the same as or better than 35% of second graders across the nation. We would expect 65% of students nationally to achieve a score above this cut-score. 

Grade 3

The third grade reading cut-score for "at benchmark" (green), and therefore grade level, is an Acadience score of 330. This means the student has 70% or greater likelihood of hitting the next reading target. This score is the 33rd percentile of first graders nationally, meaning that this score is the same as or better than 33% of third graders across the nation. We would expect 67% of students nationally to achieve a score above this cut-score.

Permanent Hyperlinks for Data & Assessment

• Nebo Current Assessment Calendar
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