The Improve K-3 Literacy Accountability Measures Comprehensive Plan for Reading Achievement report was presented to State Board of Education members this week in Charlotte.

 

According to a Department of Public Instruction news release, third graders demonstrated reading proficiency through one of the following options:

 

-- passing the Beginning-of-Grade 3 English Language Arts/Reading assessment

-- passing the End-of-Grade 3 English Language Arts/Reading assessment

-- passing the retest of the End-of-Grade 3 English Language Arts/Reading assessment;

passing the Read to Achieve Alternative Test

-- passing an alternative assessment for reading

-- successfully completing the reading portfolio

 

Another 8.1 percent (9,454 students) of students were exempt from third grade retention for good cause (impacts English Language Learners and some students with learning disabilities). In total, 87.3 percent or 101,373 students were promoted to the fourth grade.

 

Overall, 116,128 third grade students were tested.

 

“We are glad that third grade reading is receiving additional attention under Read to Achieve," said Superintendent June Atkinson in a statement. "As students move through elementary school, this additional focus on reading will help to keep them on track to succeed at the next grade level.”

 

Read to Achieve was passed by the legislature during its 2012 session. The goal of the program is to ensure that every third grade student is reading at or above grade level by the end of the school year. 

 

Students who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade receive extra support, including reading camps, guaranteed uninterrupted blocks of reading time, and intensive reading interventions so that they will be more prepared to do fourth grade work.