Third Grade Reading Guarantee

Kindergarten Reading Diagnostic Changes Beginning in 2026-2027  
Under Ohio law, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the administration deadline for the reading diagnostic for kindergarten students will change to September 30th. Districts and schools will have until September 30th of each school year to administer the reading diagnostic to kindergarten students. 
 
Additionally, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, districts and schools will no longer be able to use the KRA Language and Literacy section as a kindergarten reading diagnostic. Districts and schools will be required to use another assessment from the Department’s approved list of K-3 reading diagnostic assessments. Districts and schools are still required to administer the KRA to all first-time kindergarten students no later than the twentieth day of instruction.

Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a program to identify students from kindergarten through third grade, who are reading below grade level, and provide them with continued support throughout their K-12 academic career until they are reading proficiently. The Third Grade Reading Guarantee focuses on the development of individualized reading plans, the use of high-quality instructional materials, and targeted interventions. The Department provides policy guidance, instructional tools, and resources to assist districts and schools in effectively implementing the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

RIMP RESOURCES

The Department has developed the following resources to support districts and schools to develop and implement Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plans (RIMPs) for students that need support in reading: 

ReadOhio Policy Hour Webinars 

Q&A Webinar: K-3 Reading Diagnostic for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities and Complex Needs
Our next literacy webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 16 at 2pm. The Office of Literacy Achievement, in collaboration with the Teaching All Learners Center at OCALI, will host a question and answer webinar about the video titled "Supporting Learners with Complex Communication and Other Access Needs: From Screening to Instruction."  This video aims to help districts and schools prepare for legislative changes in the 2026-2027 school year requiring all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, to participate in the K-3 reading diagnostic assessment. During the webinar, we will answer questions about the video.

There is no registration required for the webinar. To join the webinar, please click this link.

If you would like to receive webinar recordings, materials, and updates about future webinars, please sign-up here.

General Information

Resources

RIMP intervention Video Series

Explore the Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan (RIMP) Intervention Video Series:

Recorded Webinar: K-3 Reading Diagnostic for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities and Complex Needs (Posted 5/13/2026)

The Office of Literacy Achievement, in collaboration  with the Teaching All Learners Center at OCALI, has released a new video titled "Supporting Learners with Complex Communication and Other Access Needs: From Screening to Instruction." This video aims to help districts and schools prepare for legislative changes in the 2026-2027 school year, requiring all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, to participate in the K-3 reading diagnostic assessment.  

The video outlines the K-3 reading diagnostic assessment requirements under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and provides detailed strategies and tools to support individuals with complex communication needs while addressing the following key questions:
 
  • How do we conduct a universal screener (K-3 reading diagnostic) for students with low incidence disabilities and complex communication needs?
  • What actions are necessary if a student scores “0” or if the results of the universal screener are not scoreable due to inappropriate accommodations in the assessment?
  • How do we progress monitor students with low incidence disabilities and complex communication needs?
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Third Grade Reading Guarantee Guidance Manual for Chartered Nonpublic Schools

This document contains the latest guidance updates for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee for chartered nonpublic schools with students participating in the EdChoice and Cleveland Scholarship Programs. The updates in this document include information about the assessment requirements, reading instruction requirements, and promotion and retention criteria. Please send questions about this document to ThirdGradeGuarantee@education.ohio.gov.

2026 Third Grade Reading Guarantee Guidance Manual for Nonpublic Schools - Scholarship Students
 

Other Resources

If you have any questions about the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, please email ThirdGradeGuarantee@education.ohio.gov.

 

Last Modified: 9/12/2026 11:34:26 AM