State of the Georgia Girl Report

K-12 Proficiency: ELA, continued. The 10-year trend in girls’ ELA proficiency shows moderate improvement overall with one particularly striking concern: the decline in proficiency among 3rd grade girls . The Annie E. Casey Foundation notes that this year marks a transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” and is often regarded as a landmark year in literacy proficiency. Over the last 10 years, Georgia saw a notable decrease in the portion of 3rd grade girls achieving proficiency, from 43% of girls in 2015 to 39% of girls in 2025. While most grades demonstrate small gains in ELA proficiency, girls at the critical 3rd grade level dropped 4% in 10 years. Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade Assessments, English Language Arts, 2014-2015 and 2024-2025.

Girls’ ELA Proficiency – On Grade Level, 2015 vs 2025

47%

46%

47%

45%

45%

45%

45%

43%

43%

43%

42%

39%

ACADEMIC WELLNESS OF GEORGIA GIRLS

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

2015

2025

“ Coding with Girl Scouts is fun because all girls are welcomed , despite their differences in abilities. She still talks about working on the computer and feeling so welcomed! - Parent of a Georgia Girl Scout, Brownie (2nd - 3rd grade), 2024

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THE 2026 STATE OF THE GEORGIA GIRL REPORT