RIDGETOP, Tenn. (WTVF) — Third grade students could be back in the classroom sooner than expected as thousands of Tennessee families navigate the controversial Third Grade Retention Law.
Because of the law enacted in 2021, thousands of students must choose between summer school and tutoring just to move on to fourth grade.
"What was supposed to be a really, really fun time for her ended up being a really stressful time," said Courtney Hickerson, whose daughter Ava is affected by the law.
This wasn't the school year Hickerson expected her third grader to have, and certainly not the ending.
"Not only are teachers under an immense amount of stress because they are worried about one test and they are teaching to test, they have no choice but to let third graders know the importance of these tests," said Hickerson.
Hickerson's daughter Ava didn't meet expectations on the April TCAP reading test, the state's only measure for deciding if a student is ready for fourth grade, under the controversial law.
When the 9-year-old didn't do much better on the retest, her options were summer school, tutoring through fourth grade, or repeating third grade.
"It's lazy lawmaking to do this, to hold third grade children back based on one test on one day without knowing what's going on in their life," said Hickerson.
Since the state passed the controversial Third Grade Retention Law to address pandemic learning loss, thousands of parents have faced the same situation as the Robertson County family.
According to a report by Tennessee's Department of Education, during the 2023-2024 school year, only 40% of third-grade students scored proficiently. That means that most families weren't able to sail right into summer. The results just about mirror the results of the first year.
In a letter to the governor, education officials, and her state lawmakers, Hickerson argued there's more than one way to tell if a kid is ready for fourth grade.
She wrote: "I am writing to express my deep frustration and unwavering opposition to Tennessee's Third Grade Retention Law. This policy is not only misguided, it is deeply harmful to our children, their families, and the educators working tirelessly to support them. It needs to be redacted immediately."
Appeals are open through June 27, but there are a lot of rules to qualify. The list of requirements to appeal is listed at the bottom of the education department's website, explaining the law.
Meanwhile, students who choose tutoring must either show improvement on their fourth-grade reading TCAP or meet with a teacher to determine the best next step for advancing to fifth grade.
Are you a parent navigating Tennessee's Third Grade Retention Law? Has your family been affected by the summer school or tutoring requirements? Email hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com to share your experience.
This story was reported by Hannah McDonald and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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