Explore the Data

Third Grade Language Arts Differential

Significant disparities by race/ethnicity and income in third grade language arts proficiency remain

Disparities exist in ELA proficiency by race/ethnicity and income. While the disparity in ELA proficiency has decreased for Black/African American students since 2018, significant disparities remain.

• 40% of students who receive free/reduced lunch (a proxy for low income¹⁵) are ELA proficient, which is 15 percentage points lower than the overall LPS population.
• 39% of students who identify as Latino/a or Hispanic are ELA proficient, which is 16 percentage points lower than the overall LPS population.
• 35% of students who identify as Black or African American are ELA proficient, which is 20 percentage points lower than the overall LPS population.

Footnotes

15.  In general, students are eligible for free lunch if their household income is less than 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and eligible for reduced lunch if their household income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. In the 2020-21 school year, students in a family of four with a household income less than $34,450 would be eligible for free lunch, and those with a household income less than $49,025 would be eligible for reduced lunch. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. (2021). Child nutrition programs: Income eligibility guidelines. Federal Register/Vol. 86, No. 41/Thursday, March 4, 2021. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-03-04/pdf/2021-04452.pdf