Third Grade Reading Guarantee FAQ

Third Grade Reading Guarantee COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

RETENTION

INTERVENTION AND STUDENT SUPPORTS

TEACHER REQUIREMENTS

PARENTS AND FAMILIES


RETENTION

1. Will third grade students still need to meet the promotion criteria for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee in 2019-2020 to advance to fourth grade?
Newly enacted Ohio law (House Bill 197 of the 133rd General Assembly, Section 17(C)) temporarily removes the requirement that students meet the Third Grade Reading Guarantee promotion threshold for the 2019-2020 school year to advance to fourth grade. Specifically, no school district, community school or STEM school and no chartered nonpublic school that is required to administer assessments to scholarship students should retain a student in the third grade following the 2019-2020 school year based solely on the student’s academic performance in reading. However, if the student’s principal and reading teacher agree the student’s reading skills demonstrate the student is reading below grade level and is not academically prepared to be promoted to fourth grade, the student may be retained.

Back to Top


2. Are students retained by the school’s principal and reading teacher eligible for mid-year promotion in the 2020-2021 school year?
Yes. A student whose principal and reading teacher determine the student should be retained is eligible for mid-year promotion in the 2020-2021 school year if the student meets the requirements of the district’s mid-year promotion policy. If a retained third grade student demonstrates he or she is reading at or above grade level, as defined by the district’s local policy, the student should be given the opportunity for mid-year promotion. Promoting students to fourth grade as soon as they demonstrate readiness maximizes the students’ opportunities to benefit from fourth grade instruction. The Department encourages districts to continue to monitor student progress in 4th grade to ensure mid-year promoted students continue to stay on track.

Back to Top


INTERVENTION AND STUDENT SUPPORTS

3. Are staff still required to monitor and update Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year?
How districts monitor progress pursuant to Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans currently is a local decision. To the extent possible, districts should continue updating and monitoring Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans and supporting students with these plans for the 2019-2020 school year.

Back to Top


4. Are districts required to provide retained third grade students at least 90 minutes of daily reading instruction, provide intensive intervention and offer services from a provider outside of the district for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year?
Ohio law requires that retained third grade students are provided at least 90 minutes of daily reading instruction. Under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee requirement to offer services from a provider outside of the district, a district may provide an opportunity for students to receive intensive intervention services remotely by a third party. Practicality and capacity may limit the extent to which the 90 minutes per day requirement can be completely met. Districts should make a good faith effort to support students within the district’s capacity while maintaining safety.

Back to Top


5. Are districts required to develop Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans if a transfer student is given the reading diagnostic assessment and is found to be “not on-track?”
For the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, this will be a local decision based on districts’ capacities to provide intervention or supplemental instruction for such students during Ohio’s ordered school-building closure.

Back to Top


6. Will districts need to offer summer programming for students who are considered "not on-track?"
The decision to offer summer programs is made locally. Districts are encouraged to explore summer programming options as long as they are conducted consistent with safety and health guidelines. Summer intervention programs may include online platforms selected by the district, take-home summer packets and virtual tutoring sessions. The Ohio Department of Education currently is working with state support teams to develop information districts may use for summer instruction.

Back to Top


TEACHER REQUIREMENTS

7. Are teachers required to meet the Third Grade Reading Guarantee teacher qualifications for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year?
Yes. Teachers of third grade students with Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans and retained third grade students must continue to meet the teacher qualifications (see page 17-19) required in law.

Back to Top


8. How can a Third Grade Reading Guarantee teacher meet Praxis® testing qualifications with many testing sites closed due to the coronavirus health crisis?

Education Testing Services, the Praxis 5203’s vendor, will be introducing a solution to allow candidates to take a Praxis® exam at home or another secure location while test centers are closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Education Testing Services anticipates this solution will be available mid-May 2020.

Back to Top


PARENTS AND FAMILIES

9. Are there any free, online resources for parents and caregivers to use with their children during this remote learning time?
A parent or caregiver should first contact the child’s district for online learning resource recommendations targeting the child’s specific instructional needs. The district will be best suited to match resources to a student’s specific reading deficiencies based on district assessments and progress monitoring.

The Ohio Department of Education has published a Remote Learning Resource Guide. This guide includes a list of available resources for parents and caregivers. This list is not comprehensive, and the Department does not endorse these products. The Department is making the list available to support student engagement in learning during the ordered school-building closure.

Back to Top


10. What can a parent or caregiver do if he or she disagrees with the school’s decision to retain the child in the third grade?
Under the newly enacted temporary legislation, retention decisions for third grade students are made locally. Any disagreement about retention decisions must be discussed with the child’s principal and reading teacher.

Back to Top


Last Modified: 4/28/2020 2:38:46 PM