This week the Senate passed an amended version of a House bill requiring a student to be proficient in reading before moving from the third to the fourth grade. The Senate added language requiring reporting on how many students were held back due to not being proficient readers and how many students weren’t proficient but received exemptions allowing them to continue to the next grade level. Additionally, the Senate amended the House passed version to allow a student who isn’t reading at a third grade level to move to the next grade if they are proficient in all other subjects and if they are provided intensive reading assistance in order to reach proficiency. The Senate also added three additional good-cause exceptions to holding a student back; if a parent requests and its determined to be in the student’s best interest, if a transfer student was not provided a reading improvement plan at a previous school, or if the principal and literacy coach agree the student is ready to move to the next grade level.
On Thursday, the House voted not to concur in the Senate changes to the bill, sending the legislation to conference committee. Now, three Senators and three Representatives will meet to hash out an agreement that both chambers can agree to and pass with the support of a majority of their members.
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