Third Grade Promotion – English Language Arts TCAP

January 5, 2023

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 3rd-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.

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, click here for the Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDOE) FAQ document.

Supports/Pathways to 4th Grade

For some 3rd-grade students in Tennessee, this updated law requires the student and their family to make some important decisions. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, 3rd-grade students who receive “approaching” or “below” on the English Language Arts (ELA) section of the TCAP assessment are able to get important learning supports from their school for free to ensure they are ready to move on to the 4th grade.

If a student’s family does not wish to take advantage of these supports, which are outlined in the graphic below, the student will be retained to 3rd grade the following school year and will not be promoted to 4th grade.  However, the following students are exempt from 3rd-grade retention: English learners with less than two years of ELA instruction, students previously retained in grades K-3, students with a disability that impacts reading or students with a suspected disability that impacts reading.

Appeals

The state has an appeal process for students who have been identified for retention in third grade and achieved a performance level of “approaching” on either the third-grade TCAP English Language Arts (ELA) portion or the TCAP retake assessment. A parent or legal guardian has 14 calendar days from the time of notification of a third-grade student who scored “approaching” on the ELA section of TCAP to submit an appeal. The appeal window will close on June 30.

The following criteria outline eligibility for an appeal approval:

1. The student received a score at or above the 40th percentile on their spring universal reading screener, OR

2. A catastrophic situation occurred during the days leading up to the TCAP test that impacted the 3rd grade student’s ability to perform on the test. Catastrophic situations include, but are not limited to, a death in the immediate family, loss of a family home, significant medical diagnosis, abuse, physical or emotional neglect, or household dysfunction (e.g., substance abuse, incarcerated relative, mental illness).

The Tennessee Department of Education Third Grade Retention Parent Appeal Form will be linked here soon.

Timeline

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).

Resources

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

As with all legislation, the laws, rules, regulations, and guidance are subject to change.