Reading is more than just decoding the letters on a page--although that is critically important. It is drawing meaning from text and making connections to the outside world. These are the critical thinking skills that determine success both in and outside the classroom. In past years, far too many of Tennessee's students have passed through elementary school without acquiring this strong foundation--strong decoding skills coupled with deep comprehension--and have been met with escalating challenges as they move from grade to grade. This report incorporates a series of studies and data analyses conducted over the past year by and for the Tennessee Department of Education to understand the challenges they face. Across classrooms, they find committed and knowledgeable educators who are pushing students forward. Yet each year, despite their collective efforts, at least half of Tennessee's students complete third grade without becoming readers. To change this cycle, they must first ensure students do not fall behind during early elementary school and second, they must improve at helping those students who are struggling. To get to this point, the Department provides four recommendations tied to new state initiatives that will be critical in building more readers across Tennessee and reaching their Read to be Ready goal of 75 percent of third graders proficient in reading by 2025. [For an appendix to this report, see ED572953. This report was written by the Tennessee Department of Education's Office of Research and Strategy and designed by Brad Walker.]