NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Usually a group without much fanfare, the Tennessee State School Board provided a clear message to the legislature: amend the third and fourth grade retention law.
The body agreed it wanted to look at retention in younger grades while also amending fourth-grade retention for 2025.
"We now have universal reading screeners throughout the state," board member Ryan Holt said. "We can identify who needs the most support, as early as kindergarten and first grade. I don't have all the answers. I have a kindergartener in my house. He is learning the basics. I have a third grader at home. It's assumed he knows how to read. My resolution is the sooner the better. If it be the will, I am hoping the general assembly will consider this in a spirit of collaboration. We aren't legislators. But this is an attempt to express the will of our body."
Three weeks ago, this same body approved a formula to calculate whether fourth-grade students — who struggled with their English and reading portion of the TCAP test in the third grade — would repeat the fourth grade. School districts were frustrated the formula was only approved eight weeks before the 2024 TCAP tests. Many superintendents, principals, and families sounded off to the school board, asking them to reject any efforts for fourth-grade retention at all.
Reluctantly, the board passed the formula, but members said they wanted to figure out further plans in May at their next meetings. Instead, they have gone forward now. Fourth-grade retention measures come from the actual Third-Grade Retention law passed in 2021. Thousands of kids across Middle Tennessee participated in reading camps and tutoring while in fourth grade, hoping to show enough improvement on the TCAP test to move to fifth grade.
They've now passed two different actions: one would amend fourth-grade retention pathways for third-graders who struggle this year. The other would send a resolution to the Tennessee General Assembly to start retention efforts at an earlier age.
What does this mean for my kid in fourth grade this year?
Nothing.
It does not change anything for your child in fourth grade this school year.
The adequate growth formula was approved, so school districts will meet with families and students to let them know how much growth they need to move on to the fifth-grade.
If your child appealed last year's decision and was successful, your student doesn't need to worry about fourth-grade retention. The same goes for kids who went to summer school before fourth grade.
However — if your student only went through fourth-grade tutoring and didn't appeal — your student could be one of nearly 12,000 facing a repeat of the fourth grade if they don't score high enough on their TCAP test this April.
If my third grader struggles on the 2024 TCAP, what does that mean?
The pathways to fifth grade will broaden.
Your children won't be held back if they do better on their reading screener during fourth grade and attend fourth-grade tutoring all year.
A risk notice for retention in fourth grade would then be identified on Feb. 1 of the school year.
Your school district will tell you after this year's TCAP whether your child need extra help with reading. At that point, if your child scores below expectations or approaching expectations, you have three options: appeal the decision, enroll your child in summer tutoring, or enroll your child in fourth-grade reading tutoring throughout the school year.
What does this mean for future retention guidelines?
The state school board can't write state law.
However, they can ask the legislature to change it.
The school board wants the state to create guidelines for reading retention for kindergarten through third grade students.
Kids receive reading screeners throughout kindergarten, first, and second grade. They do not take state standardized testing until third grade.
It's not clear if state lawmakers will act, but the resolution from the school board could be taken up in the House or Senate education committees. They also will send this request to the governor.
