Michigan aims to improve the reading skills of their third graders. To pursue this goal, a new bill is passed in the state. However, this bills has put a lot of pressure to the lawmakers whether they make students repeat a grade if they are too behind from meeting the standards or allow them to proceed to fourth grade.
According to Michigan Radio, the Michigan Senate has approved legislation that allows schools to retain students if their reading skills do not meet the set standard. Per the report, it is not as stringent as the earlier versions because parents and school superintendent can decide whether they let the child who failed in reading move on to the fourth grade.
Meanwhile, CBS Detroit reported that the proposed law would not tolerate students to enroll in fourth grade starting in 2019-2020 school year unless their reading score is less than one grade level behind.
Per the report, third grade is a benchmark because it is the last year where students learn to read before transitioning to reading to learn. However, there will be exceptions, which include children with disabilities or those who have limited grasp of English because it is not their natural language. Those who have been held back despite receiving intensive reading help for at least two years are also exempted.
"There's a line in the sand. We need kids reading at third-grade levels really well before they can go on. That might have been blurred a little bit in the Senate," Rep. Amanda Price, bill sponsor said.
However, Kenneth Gutman, superintendent of Walled Lake Consolidated Schools in Oakland County is reluctant about the idea of retention, only because the students don't pass the state test. He notes that this is detrimental to the student and it has no evidence that it works.
"We want students reading by third grade at grade level," Gutman said. "But certainly there are so many factors involved in trying to determine whether or not to retain a child that to mandate it is simply ludicrous."
What do you think, is it good to retain students who still lack the skills to read proficiently? Or Is it fine to allow them to proceed to fourth grade? Share your thoughts below.
