Newly released international assessment results paint a sobering picture of reading achievement in the United States and around the world. But new 2025–26 data from Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, offer an encouraging counterpoint: K–12 students using Lexia Core5 Reading and Lexia PowerUp Literacy with fidelity made substantial literacy progress, including students who began the school year multiple grade levels behind.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) newly released PISA 2025 results show that average reading performance among 15-year-olds across OECD countries fell 14 points between 2022 and 2025 — the largest decline between two PISA cycles ever recorded. Reading scores have fallen 28 points since 2015, which the OECD estimates is equivalent to approximately a year and a half of learning.

The United States reflects that troubling trajectory. U.S. reading performance declined 14 points from 2022 to 2025, falling to 490 — the lowest reading score recorded for the United States since it began participating in PISA in 2000. Compared with 2015, the percentage of U.S. 15-year-olds performing below PISA’s baseline Level 2 proficiency in reading has increased by seven percentage points.

Against that backdrop, Lexia’s 2025–26 data show significant literacy growth among students who used Core5 and PowerUp with fidelity. Among more than 1.1 million U.S. Pre-K–5 students who used Core5 with fidelity, the percentage working on skills at or above grade level increased from 42% at the beginning of the school year to 84% at the end.

Students who began the year furthest behind also made substantial progress. Among those who started two or more grade levels behind, 52% gained two or more grade levels in a single school year, while 38% ended the year on grade level or reached their grade-level benchmark.

The gains also extended to older students. Among 42,760 U.S. students in grades 6–12 who used PowerUp with fidelity, 57% covered three or more grade levels of skills in a single school year. By year-end, fewer than 7% were working on K–2 skills across all strands, and the number working on advanced comprehension skills was four times greater than at the beginning of the school year.

“The latest PISA results should be a call to action, but they should not lead us to conclude that declining reading achievement is inevitable,” said interim president of Lexia, Shawn Clark. “Our data show that students can make significant literacy gains when they receive evidence-based instruction grounded in the science of reading and targeted to what they need. That includes students who begin the school year multiple grade levels behind. We know much more today about how students learn to read and how to support older students who continue to struggle. The challenge is putting that knowledge into practice consistently and at scale.”

While building strong foundational reading skills in the early grades remains critical, the PISA findings reinforce the need to address literacy across the K–12 continuum. The 2025–26 Lexia results provide an encouraging indication of what is possible, showing progress from students building foundational reading skills in the elementary grades to older students working to close persistent literacy gaps. Additional findings from the Core5 and PowerUp annual results, including student progress, program usage and educator feedback, are available at https://www.lexialearning.com/resources/infographics.

About the 2025–26 Data

The Core5 results are based on 1,114,652 U.S. Pre-K–5 students who used the program for at least 20 weeks, met weekly usage targets for at least half of those weeks, and either began using the program before the end of 2025 or met benchmark. The PowerUp results are based on 42,760 U.S. students in grades 6–12 who used the program for at least 20 weeks, met weekly usage targets for at least half of those weeks, and began using the program before the end of 2025. Both datasets were compiled and analyzed by the Lexia Research Team.

About Lexia

Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, is transforming literacy education, driving change in 1 of every 3 school districts across the United States. For more than 40 years, Lexia has been a thought leader in literacy education, delivering award-winning, research-based solutions grounded in the science of reading. With a full spectrum of offerings, including professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment tools, Lexia provides educators with Structured Literacy solutions that are proven effective and designed to drive meaningful literacy outcomes. By empowering educators with unparalleled ease of use and the knowledge and tools they need, Lexia helps more students unlock their potential to read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit lexialearning.com.

About Cambium Learning Group

Cambium Learning Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued, and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now. To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. The Cambium family of brands includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia, ExploreK12 and Time4Learning.

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