Idaho’s most at-risk students still struggle to read at the same level as their peers, according to the most recent results from a statewide reading exam.

Six at-risk student groups underperformed the state average on the spring 2025 Idaho Reading Indicator.

The Idaho Reading Indicator is a statewide exam that measures students’ reading ability each fall and spring. The test determines whether student literacy is at, near, or below grade level.

Students with disabilities struggled the most with 37% reading at grade level. While it appears English Language Learners gained proficiency this spring compared to spring 2024, the data is not comparable because districts for the first time this school year were able to opt out students with limited English proficiency from the exam.

Students could be exempted if if they had been enrolled for less than two full school years in an elementary school in the United States and who score less than a level two on the state English language proficiency assessment.

Of 2,652 students eligible for the exemption, 925 took the exam. The exempted students represented about 1.5% of all test-takers.

There are two populations in which the state tracks students who do and don’t fall into the category: students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students.

The data shows that economically disadvantaged students score far lower than their peers. That gap only grows when looking at students with disabilities.

Test takers who are African American, Native American, Hispanic or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander also underperformed the state average for reading proficiency, while those who are white, two or more races, or Asian, were more likely to be reading at grade level.

Idaho Education News data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report.