This policy comes after Maryland went from ranking No. 4 to No. 41 in the country regarding fourth-grade literacy scores in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment.
“It’s important, it’s extremely important that we help build a society where we help our students become quality [students] and ready to perform in the 21st century.”..
In July, the education department drafted a mandate for third graders to be held back if they aren’t reading at grade level. The policy mirrored one Maryland’s State Superintendent Carey Wright introduced in Mississippi, which preceded a rise in fourth grade reading scores on a national test from second-to-last to the middle of the pack.
But it seems Maryland won’t be taking that exact approach. In a revised draft of the policy, parents have gained the right to challenge a school district’s decision to make a child repeat third grade...
