Early literacy skills are critical to a successful school experience. Third grade is considered an important milestone in a student's career in terms of reading proficiency and is correlated to whether a student will graduate high school. Up through 3rd grade, students are learning to read; after 3rd grade, they must be able to read in order to learn. There are persistent gaps in academic achievement among students of different races, ethnicities and incomes. Notably, racial gaps persist even among students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

In 2022, 69% of 3rd graders in the Brookline School District were considered proficient in reading, up 10 percentage points from 2017. This was higher than the 2022 Norfolk County rate of 58% and the statewide rate of 44%.

Brookline students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds had a lower reading proficiency rate of 32% in 2022, compared to 75% of those who were not economically disadvantaged.

Proficiency rates were higher among Brookline's white (74%), Asian (71%) and Latino (63%) students, while lower for Black or African American (32%) students. Rates for all groups in Brookline were higher than those at the state level. Since 2017, proficiency rates improved for all groups in Brookline. Rates among Latino students improved the most (21 points) while the rate for African American students increased by 1 point.

Among individual districts, Brookline's proficiency rate for all 3rd graders in 2022 was lower than Arlington (72%), but higher than Newton (66%), Cambridge (58%), and Everett (23%).

Studies point to a variety of factors believed to contribute to disparities in test scores and other measures of student achievement. School systems in the United States are highly segregated, and students of color disproportionately attend schools with high proportions of low-income students who may not have benefited from early learning opportunities at the same rate as other students. Schools also have different levels of resources ranging from qualified/experienced teachers to advanced courses to facilities and technology, and schools with large Black and Latino populations often have lower levels. In addition, teachers across all school systems tend to be disproportionately white, and teaching practices and curriculum may not be culturally relevant to students of color.

Massachusetts students are considered "economically disadvantaged" if they receive assistance though the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Transitional Assistance for Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC), the Department of Children and Families' (DCF) foster care program, or MassHealth insurance.