Lawmakers OK bill to put decision on holding back 4th graders in hands of schools, parents
A bill leaving decisions on holding back thousands of fourth graders affected by Tennessee's controversial reading law up to schools and parents passed the state legislature on Thursday.
A lesser-known part of the reading law would have held back up to 6,000 fourth graders this year, according to a projection from the Tennessee Department of Education. The newly passed bill removes that mandate. The Senate voted to pass the bill 27-3. The House voted 82-3.
It now heads to Gov. Bill Lee's desk. The governor has 10 days to sign or veto the bill, excluding Sundays. If he takes no action, it will be come law without his signature.
Here's a rundown of what changed and what's next for fourth graders statewide.
What to know: How Tennessee reading law affects third, fourth graders
What changed for fourth graders in the Tennessee reading law
The state's reading and retention law requires third graders who fall short on state reading benchmarks to meet exemption standards, pass on a retake, enroll in summer school or win an appeal. Additionally, students who score as "approaching" proficiency could enroll in tutoring for the entirety of fourth grade — something around 12,000 students opted into for the current school year.
The previous version of the law required those fourth graders to be held back if they did not pass the English language arts section of Tennessee's standardized test or hit an individualized growth goal set by the state. The newly passed measure states a district or public charter school must call a conference with the student's parent or guardian, English language arts teacher and school principal if those children fall short.
The conference will determine one of the following things:
Promote the child to fifth grade with interventions and academic supports in place, including tutoring
Retain the child in fourth grade
The decision came down to the wire as the nearly four-month legislative session reached its conclusion Thursday night. While the bill drew wide bipartisan support, lawmakers initially disagreed on specifics. They struck a deal in a last-minute conference committee on Thursday ahead of the final floor sessions for the House and Senate.
See how TN measures third grade reading: Try a TCAP practice test
What's next for Tennessee third, fourth graders
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests kicked off April 15 for grades 3-5 and will conclude by Tuesday. Exact testing dates vary by district.
Scores are typically released in two waves over the summer and early fall each year. However, the Tennessee Department of Education will release some scores and data early for third and fourth graders affected by the reading law.
English language arts scores for third graders will be released to districts on May 20 and growth data for fourth graders will be released by July 1. It will be up to districts to relay information to parents and legal guardians.
Where can I learn more?
More information on the third grade reading and retention law from the Tennessee Department of Education can be found at tn.gov/education/learning-acceleration.
Reach children's reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee bill passes: Holding back 4th graders up to schools, parents
