Third Grade Reading Bill

The House and Senate made their final approvals to the third grade reading bill on Wednesday. The legislation heads to Governor Rick Snyder’s desk for approval.

HB 4822 aims at improving the number of students reading at grade level when they complete the third grade. It contains provisions for interventions for struggling students and requires the retention of students for an additional third grade year if the student fails to read at grade level. A provision allows a parent to appeal this or a student can demonstrate proficiency through other means.

The bill passed the House 60-47 and the Senate 25-10. Representative Andy Schor (D-Lansing) told his colleagues that after voting yes the first two times presented, he will have to vote no because the compromised version requires a student to be proficient in all subjects other than reading to move on and then receive remedial education in reading. Representative Schor feels a student proficient in at least one subject should be able to continue with that subject.

Representative Amanda Price (R-Park Township), sponsor of the bill, commented that 70 percent of the state’s children are not proficient, and believes this bill will help close that gap. The compromised bill kept the parent exemption, but dropped the exemption that allows a student’s principal and reading teacher to approve the advancement of a pupil.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, September 23, 2016 9:57 AM
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