Requesting an Exemption

Starting on May 26, 2021, the State of Michigan started mailing retention notification letters to the families of third-grade students who scored 1252 or below on the M-STEP English language arts test. FAMILIES HAVE 30 DAYS TO REPLY AND REQUEST AN EXEMPTION!!

The letter will arrive via certified mail and it will look like the image below:

If you do not want your child to be left back in third grade, you must request an exemption. EXEMPTIONS ARE NOT AUTOMATIC: you must ask for an exemption and it must be approved by the superintendent of your district.

Four of the exemptions are specific: we urge families to use the broadest exemption - that promotion to 4th grade is in the best interest of your child!

We urge you to send an email to both your district superintendent and your school principal, stating that it is in the best interest of your child to move on to 4th grade. By sending an email, you will have a written record with a date and time. Hopefully, you will receive a written response and approval.

If you do not receive a response, or if you have any questions/concerns, call your district superintendent's office directly.

NOTE: Some districts have specific procedures. See below for details.

District-Specific Instructions for Requesting an Exemption: See Below

ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AAPS information on the Read by Grade 3 law, including a video

From MLive (January 19, 2019):

"We know the devastating impact of retention, and we will not be implementing retention as a strategy," said Superintendent Jeanice Swift during a board of education study session on the third grade reading law on May 17, 2017. "We will be implementing a host of strategic interventions, additional supports, parent plans, summer plans, attendance plans, all of that. But not retention. I want to be clear about that."

DEARBORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Dearborn Public Schools maintains a blog about Read by Grade 3. The district posted their stance on the retention here.

According to the district:

"If you receive a letter from the state of Michigan saying that your child should be retained in third grade based on their M-STEP score, you have the right as their legal guardian to request a good cause exemption. If you receive one of these letters from the state, please contact your child’s school so they can explain the good cause exemption process. Our schools will support parents in filing an exemption within the required 30 days of receiving the letter. If approved, an exemption request will allow your child to continue on to fourth grade. Please remember, Dearborn Public Schools is not requiring retention."

Please contact your child’s school or the Dearborn Public Schools district office (313) 827-3026 with all questions.

DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY DISTRICT

DPSCD information on the Read by Grade 3 law, including videos

Letter from Superintendent Vitti outlining DPSCD's stance on retention

Families of students flagged for retention should receive an email from DPSCD. The email will include a link to a survey that must be completed to request that their child be promoted to 4th grade.

Families should also expect to receive a supportive phone call from the DPSCD Office of Family and Community Engagement and their child's school. During the call, a staff member will walk through how to complete the survey to request promotion.

In late July/early August, the District will send final retention promotion decision letters to families.

For DPSCD families with questions, they may email info.curriculum@detroitk12.org

FERNDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

FPS information on the Read by Grade 3 law

From The Detroit News (May 26, 2021):

Dania Bazzi, superintendent of Ferndale Public Schools, said her district reached out to families already to explain the law and ensure they knew their options and rights. Bazzi said three students were being flagged as eligible in her district and she does not anticipate retaining any students based on individual circumstances. Only 54% of her third graders took the assessment. "We are taking it on a case by case basis," Bazzi said. "Philosophically, retention is not in the student's best interest in most cases. There are outliers where it may be appropriate. It's not simply a test score that will make the decision." Bazzi said all families in her district will know about retention decisions by the end of June.

GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

GRPS information on the Read by Grade 3 law

Families of students flagged for retention should fill out this form to request that their child be promoted to 4th grade (also available Ver en español, Reba mu Kinyarwanda, and Tazama kwa Kiswahili)

For GRPS families with questions, they may contact the superintendent's office in the following ways:

For questions or form submission support, please contact the superintendent's office by phone at 616-819-2193 or by email at superintendent@grps.org

LIVONIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

From The Detroit News (March 8, 2021):

Livonia Public Schools superintendent Andrea Oquist said she will not use retention to address the needs of her young readers.

"We will be utilizing all of the Good Cause Exemption provisions to support placement of our learners in grade 4 next year," Oquist said.

"The detrimental impact of retaining a third-grade child is significant, with long-range implications for their future as a student and as a citizen," she said. "We believe that each child learns at a different pace and may require unique intervention and support tools to help them achieve."

For LPS families with questions, they should call LPS Chief Academic Officer, Theresa O’Brien, at 734-744-2614

PLYMOUTH-CANTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

P-CCS information on the Read by Grade 3 law

P-CCS supports the family's right to request a good cause exemption. These requests must be made in writing to P-CCS within 30 days after the date of the notification. The family has a right to request a meeting with the school to discuss the retention requirement and the standards and processes for a good cause exemption.

The letter template to request an exemption is located on the P-CCS website here.

For P-CCS families with questions related to the legislation and the notification process, email Maureen Molloy, Director of Elementary Education, at maureen.molloy@pccsk12.com

ROCHESTER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

RCS information on the Read by Grade 3 law

According to the district:

"The major component of the law requires that 3rd grade students who do not pass the State of Michigan Reading Assessment beginning in the spring of 2020 are retained (held back from going on to 4th grade the following year). Parents should note that there are several 'good cause exemptions' that would allow students to proceed to fourth grade."

TROY SCHOOL DISTRICT

From The Detroit News (March 8, 2021):

Natalie Haezebrouck, director of teaching and learning for the Troy School District, said her staff is assessing students in grades K-5 three times a year to measure literacy and to determine what supports or interventions they need. "We don't agree with retention. Retention doesn't work," said Haezebrouck, adding it "can be harmful for a student's well-being."

"We are not planning on retaining any students. We will continue to intervene to make sure all students can be ready. We think that is the spirit of the law to have that literate future."

WALLED LAKE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS

WLCSD information on the Read by Grade 3 law

Families of students flagged for retention should receive a letter from Superintendent Kenneth Gutman. If you elect an exemption for your third grader, the request will need to be in writing and submitted to the Superintendent before June 30.

Email: KennethGutman@wlcsd.org Phone: 248-956-2011

Mailing Address: Kenneth Gutman, Educational Services Center, 850 Ladd Road, Building D, Walled Lake, MI 48390