Literacy, or the ability to read, is a fundamental skill that students must possess in order to be successful throughout school and after graduation.Perhaps no milestone is more critical in a student’s academic career than their ability to read by the end of third grade. Mastery of other academic subjects, including math, science and social studies, requires a strong foundation in basic literacy skills. Building on this foundation, students will continue to hone and develop more complex reading skills as they progress through school. For these reasons, students who cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely than proficient students to drop out of school before earning a diploma.