Colombia: panorama del nivel de alfabetización en estudiantes de primer y segundo grado en 7 entidades territoriales certificadas

Abstract

Reading is the cornerstone of education and human development. In recognition of this priority, 7 certified territorial entities (ETC), in collaboration with Colombia Evidencia Potencial en Educación and the World Bank, implemented the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA). Applied to a sample of 29,823 first- and second-grade students across the 7 ETC between 2023 and 2025, the assessment generates evidence to guide education-policy decisions. This report offers a comparative view of results across the 7 evaluated ETC, identifying common patterns, gaps, and performance benchmarks at the regional scale. Results show that every ETC exhibits a gap between expected and observed reading fluency in first and second grade, though its magnitude varies considerably across territories. Disaggregated analysis reveals gaps not only between ETC but also across subgroups—by age, gender, and school—requiring differentiated strategies. Pedagogically, the findings underscore that developing early reading requires comprehensive, structured, and sustained interventions combining explicit and systematic phonics instruction, oral-language and vocabulary development, structured progressions, frequent formative assessment, and focused support for struggling students.