The Case for Repealing Michigan’s "Read by Grade Three" Law
Michigan recently instituted a law that will require mandatory retention for third graders who struggle with reading. While well-intentioned, this law is a looming disaster.
How did we get here?
The movement for third-grade reading retention laws started in 2002 in Florida and gained traction with 2011 with a widely-cited report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation called Double Jeopardy: How Poverty & Third-Grade Reading Skills Influence High School Graduation. In that study, the researchers concluded that students not reading proficiently by the end of third grade were four times more likely not to graduate high school.
In Michigan, the push for mandatory retention was spearheaded by Representative Amanda Price starting in 2011. Her often-defeated campaign for mandatory retention was finally successful in October 2016, when MCL 380.1280f was signed into law, just two months before she was term-limited from office.
What does the law actually say?
"Any student who scores more than one grade level behind on the third-grade M-STEP ELA exam is subject to mandatory retention"
"BASED ON STANDARDIZED TESTING, THIS STATE HAS 5 DETERMINED THAT THE PUPIL MAY BE REQUIRED TO BE RETAINED IN GRADE 3 6 AS PROVIDED UNDER STATE LAW "
Click here to read the text of the law
Note:
Includes numerous supports for struggling readers, including provisions for interventions, reading coaches, and additional professional development for teachers.
Allows the state standardized reading assessment to be substituted by an alternate assessment or a portfolio of work in limited circumstances. “Good cause” exemptions to mandatory retention can be requested by parents for English language learners, students with existing special education plans, students who have been previously retained, and a few other categories.