January 2023 News

The state of Tennessee has had a student promotion and retention law in place since 2011. During the 2021 Special Session, the Tennessee legislature updated that law to ensure that all students have the support to read and perform on grade level no later than the 2022-23 school year. If a student does not pass the third-grade section of the ELA TCAP (a student who receives an approaching or below score), they will be provided support to ensure they are ready for grade-level ELA lessons in fourth grade. If a student’s family does not wish to take advantage of these supports, the student will be retained to third grade to ensure that they receive an additional year of instruction and can participate fully during their fourth grade ELA classroom moving forward.

As with all legislation, the laws, rules, regulations, and guidance are subject to change. CMCSS has been communicating with the families of students currently in third grade, sending individualized benchmark data and reports, and providing resources and informational meetings based on the current guidance. For more information, visit CMCSS’ third-grade promotion and retention resources webpage.

Please see below for a timeline from the Tennessee Department of Education:

Fall:

• Your child will take a universal reading screener.
• You will receive your child’s home literacy report, which should include information on your child’s current reading development, the support the school is providing your child in reading, and what to do to support literacy at home.
• Discuss results with your child’s teacher, if needed.

Winter:

• Your child will take a mid-year universal reading screener.
• You will receive another home literacy report. This literacy report will also indicate whether your child may be at-risk for retention.
• Discuss results with your child’s teacher, if needed.

Spring:

• Your child will take an end-of-year universal reading screener and the TCAP.
• You will receive a final home literacy report which should also indicate whether your child may be at-risk for retention.
• Schedule a parent-teacher conference to review the results of your home literacy report and any necessary next steps, including a testing retake opportunity, if needed.
• Sign your child up for summer programming and/or tutoring to support their literacy development.
• Review third-grade ELA retake and appeals information (if appropriate).
• Collect necessary information and file an appeal (if appropriate and desired).

Please see below for resources from the Tennessee Department of Education:

• TCAP Family Resources
• Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation Family Reading Time at Home Guides
• At-Home Decodable Reading Series