Tag Archives: Third Grade in Tennessee

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The Least Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s TNReady trouble time – an annual event in Tennessee

Ah, yes. It’s that time of year again. The time of TNReady troubles.

This year, of course, the TNReady issue is compounded with a new and ridiculous third grade retention law.

We’ll start there.

As a result of the devastating new law, third grade students who didn’t meet a certain score on the ELA portion of TNReady this year are subject to being held back. To avoid that fate, they can participate in summer school and possibly have a tutor in 4th grade.

New Third Grade Law “Devastating”

If those options don’t work, or they don’t complete summer school, the student will repeat third grade.

Since the test had much higher stakes this year than normal, the TN Department of Education offered the opportunity for students to retake the test if they fell into the score category requiring retention.

Those retakes were set for this week.

Here’s how that went:

My district ran into tech issues today with the 3rd grade retest. Our kids sat for over an hour after trying unsuccessfully to log in.

This type of issue – a technical difficulty with accessing the test – happened in a number of districts across the state.

So, imagine being a third grader at the end of your school year. You find out you have to retake an 85 minute test you’ve already taken. If you don’t do well enough, you have to go to summer school and possibly repeat third grade.

No pressure at all, right?

Then you show up for your retake and you’re ready to go and you have to wait for an hour or two while some tech issues are worked out.

It doesn’t matter that you’ve waited and are now likely extra anxious. This is it.

This test counts. For a lot – especially in the life of a 9-year-old.

Of course, this isn’t the first time TNReady has had problems. In fact, just about every single year the test has been administered, there have been challenges.

BREAKING: Another Dump Truck Hits TNReady?!

This year, many districts did not receive the necessary scores in time to include them in student grades. Here’s how Clarksville-Montgomery County describes the situation:

CMCSS will not include the TCAP/EOC state standardized test results as part of students’ final grades this school year. In accordance with T.C.A. § 49-1-617 and District policy, students’ TCAP scores will not be included in their final spring semester grades if the scores are not received by the District at least five instructional days before the end of the academic year. CMCSS did not receive scores in time.

Although scores will not be included in semester grades, in accordance with state law, the third-grade ELA TCAP score, or retest score, is still being used to determine the pathways to fourth-grade promotion unless a student is exempt from third-grade retention. CMCSS received scores from the state last Friday afternoon and processed through the weekend. Families of students at-risk for retention began receiving communications last Sunday regarding the retest and next steps.

Here’s an update from Sumner County:

So, the scores don’t count for a student’s grades, but they can be used to determine whether or not a student needs to take another test in the last days of the academic year.

Not only are there recurring technical issues with TNReady, it is important to note what the test actually measures:

The TN Poverty Test

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

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Some States Learn from Their Mistakes

Tennessee is NOT one of them

Tennessee has a third grade retention law that goes into effect THIS YEAR.

That means kids in third grade right now will be impacted. A lot of them.

3rd Grade Again

What’s interesting is to see other states that have tried this sort of law – and then backed down.

The Education Report notes that Michigan has just repealed its third-grade retention law after seven years. Why? Because it doesn’t work!

Michigan’s legislature recently sent third grade retention repeal to the Governor.

Here’s how lawmakers explained that decision:

“Michigan isn’t the first state to try this,” Koleszar said. “We’ve seen it in other states and there’s zero data from any other states that suggests retention is the way to go. We’ve got enough data to know it’s not working.”

Here’s what else is interesting about the Michigan repeal:

“Let’s use that money for reading intervention specialists, for literacy coaches, after school programs, summer school programs, to tackle the issue that way, instead of being reactive and just holding them back in a punitive and punishing way,” said Rep. Nate Shannon, D-Sterling Heights.

The bill passed Tuesday repeals the retention aspect of the law, but retains other elements such as staffing recommendations, reading intervention services, and the use of evidence-based curricula and instructional material.

Hello? Tennessee??

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

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Clamoring for Change

Yet another group has added its voice to those calling on the Tennessee General Assembly to amend the state’s third grade retention law that goes into effect this year.

For more on that law, check this out:

New Third Grade Law “Devastating”

Now, the Tennessee Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has issued a statement calling for change – specifically, to give local districts more control and to include multiple measures in any retention decision.

Here’s the full statement:

The Tennessee PTA works to ensure that all students can be successful.  The current third grade retention law, while working to ensure that students are capable of meeting standards, creates an environment where a singular test (i.e. TCAP or TNReady), and not a student’s tracked growth or potentially their full capabilities, determines their educational outcomes and progress in school.  We believe that the exceptions to retention set forth in the current legislation do not meet the full spectrum of needs a student might present or provide enough flexibility to prevent a student who is capable from being retained.

The Tennessee PTA Board of Directors believes that legislation regarding student retention should work to meet the needs, skills, and abilities of each student and must be based on multiple measures including student growth and achievement. The board of directors also believes that this legislation should return the ability for students, parents, teachers, and schools to make decisions for each student on an individual basis.  The board of directors deems that local education agencies are best suited to craft individual retention policies that promote the success of their students. The Tennessee PTA Board of Directors asks that the third grade retention legislation be amended to ensure that decisions are made individually and based on a student’s capabilities, and not as a collective in order to ensure the success of every student.  

Tennessee PTA and our board of directors will continue to focus on our mission: To make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

For more on Tennessee education politics and policy, follow @TNEdReport

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What Will TN’s New 3rd Grade Law Mean for Nashville?

The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) takes a look at what the state’s new third grade retention law could mean for MNPS.

New Third Grade Law “Devastating”

According to NPEF’s analysis, as many as 4000 MNPS third graders may be forced to repeat that grade if the law remains unchanged during this legislative session.

More on what to expect from the legislature this year here.

Here’s a look at how they break down the potential impact:

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

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Knox County Asks for Relief from New 3rd Grade Law

The Knox County School Board has joined a number of districts across the state calling on lawmakers to make changes to the state’s new third grade retention law.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel notes that as written, the law could mean about 2700 third grade students in Knox County will be held back this year – unless they undergo summer tutoring and/or remediation during the 2023-24 school year.

New Third Grade Law “Devastating”

A state law that goes into effect this year requires that students not testing at “met expectations” – reading at grade level – according to TNReady results, must be retained or complete a summer remediation program.

An article in the Maryville Daily Times explains what this might mean in practice.

The law applies to students who score at the “below expectations” or “approaching expectations” performance levels on the TCAP exam. Statewide, that could mean two-thirds of third graders, Winstead explained. However, Maryville’s third grade ELA performance last spring was ranked sixth in the state, with 60% meeting or exceeding expectations.

That left 40%, 174 children, potentially affected if the law had been in place. However, with exemptions for new English learners, students with disabilities that affect reading and previously retained students, the number drops to 122.

Across the state, districts are asking policymakers to tweak the law to give them flexibility.

It should be noted that the state has provided zero additional funding to districts to support the required remediation.

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

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Reading Scores Show Promise as 3rd Grade Retention Law Takes Effect

Nashville education blogger TC Weber takes a look at a recent Comptroller’s report on literacy in the state and finds some reason for encouragement. There’s a bit of confusion, too, in terms of whether or not the growth reflected in the results shared will translate into better overall reading scores.

The issue is particularly salient this year, as a new law takes effect requiring retention for any third grader who fails to meet state benchmarks in reading.

New Third Grade Law “Devastating”

Here’s more from Weber on the Comptroller’s report:

A recently released report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s office shows that Tennessee K-3 students are making positive, albeit slight, growth in acquiring reading skills. Those conclusions were drawn from state-mandated K-3 universal reading screeners (URS), which all school districts are required to administer as part of legislation passed in 2021 during a Special Session of the General Assembly on education.

Based on graphs included in the Comptrollers report, third-grade students saw the most movement, with students starting at 43 percent in the Fall of 2021, growing to 45 percent in the Winter, and then achieving a Spring 2022 score of 46 percent.

books
Photo by Emily on Pexels.com

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

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New Third Grade Law “Devastating”

One middle Tennessee mom says she was devastated when she learned of Tennessee’s new third grade retention law that goes into effect this year. The law requires that any third-grade student who scores at “below expectations” or “approaching expectations” on the state’s TNReady test in reading be held back unless they complete summer school and possibly enroll in a tutoring program during the school year.

Nearly 70% of all Tennessee third grade students score at that level on TNReady in any given year. In other words, even if a majority of them complete the summer program and participate in tutoring, a significant portion of third grade students will be forced to repeat third grade in 2023.

3rd Grade Again

Here’s more from WKRN on this story:

One day and one test could change the life of Anna Sturm’s son.

“I was devastated when I read it,” she said. “As a mother, it was such a disheartening thing to read that this is going to be something that could impact my child and thousands and thousands of children.”

The news report also notes that the Murfreesboro City Schools have crafted a resolution asking the state to reconsider the legislation and make changes when they return to session in January.

That’s something the bill’s sponsor says he may be open to – though he was vague on what those changes may look like:

Open to Change as Long as it’s Free

It’s worth noting, too, that the policy is based on a single test taken on a single day – and it’s a test that has not exactly been reliable in recent years:

Turns Out, TNReady Still Isn’t

The legislature appropriated no additional funds to help schools support third grade students nor are there funds available for the necessary summer reading and school year tutoring programs mandated by the law.

Instead, it seems legislators just passed a law and hoped that change would magically happen.

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

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