Kindergartners who started school scoring in the bottom 20% had only a 1 in 10 chance of reading proficiency by 3rd grade.

Proficiency by grade 3 is linked to long-term academic and life outcomes, making early identification of struggling students key.

For the last five years, Alabama has embarked on an effort to dramatically reshape how it teaches reading to young students. And recently, it appeared to have paid off. Social media posts and news ...