Know Your Number
know your Number campaign
Your report card says A. Are you on grade level?Your child's report card says A. Are they on grade level?
A grade tells you how you're doing in a class. Your test score tells you whether you've mastered grade-level work. They are different numbers, and you deserve to know both.A grade tells you how your child is doing in a class. Their state test score tells you whether they've mastered grade-level work. They are different numbers, and you deserve to know both.
We call it the Grade Illusion
In 2025, student researchers at a partner high school in Oakland, California compared what their classmates believed about their reading with what the state test showed. They surveyed students at their school and across the city. The same pattern shows up nationally.
Students who think they read on grade level, and students who actually do
"Believe" is from student surveys. "Actually" is students meeting or exceeding the state reading standard. Nationally, only 31% of 4th graders and 30% of 8th graders read at a proficient level (NAEP, 2024).
point gap at their school between what students believe and what the test shows.
of students surveyed said no teacher had ever told them whether they were meeting grade-level standards.
of 11th graders at their school scored just below grade level. They are close, and the right support now can get them over the line.
This is about missing information, and the school system is responsible for sharing it. Students and families can't ask for help they don't know they need.
Check your own numbersCheck your child's numbers
Pick a subject, then match the grade on the report card with the result on the most recent state test. Every state gives one, and every state sorts scores into levels. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Turn this into a message
Send it to your teacher, or email it to yourself so it's ready when you need it.Send it to the teacher, or email it to yourself so it's ready when you need it. Edit anything before you send.
"Open in my email" uses your phone or computer's email app. If nothing opens, copy the message and paste it into an email or text.
What the test levels mean
Each state names its levels differently, and most use four or five. Here is how the common names line up.
Where to find the numbers
Every state tests reading and math in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. Schools send a score report home, and many post it in the parent portal. Ask the front office or counselor for a copy.
Ask the English teacher for a current reading level or Lexile score. It shows the level of text a student can read on their own.
Many schools also run reading or math checks during the year, like MAP or i-Ready. Ask for those results. English learners take an English language test every year; ask for that score too. In California, the Starting Smarter site explains the state score report.
What to say
Ask these out loud or send them in a message. A good teacher will be glad you asked.Ask these at a conference or send them by email. Good school leaders will be excited that you're asking. Partnership starts with curiosity.
Keep going
Who you asked and what they said
Write down every conversation. This list stays only in this browser on this device, so copy anything important somewhere safe.
Questions, or want more support?
Email us if something on this page isn't working, you're not sure what your results mean, or your school would like support with this work.
Knowing is the first step
Awareness
Know your number in every core class, not just your grade.Know your child's number in every core class, not just their grade.
Navigation
Ask the questions, get a plan, and follow up until something changes.
Duty
Share this with a friend. Students who are proficient can tutor classmates who are close.Share this with another family. When parents ask together, schools listen.