KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Tennessee third graders are still taking the state test known as the TCAP. A new third-grade retention law took effect in the state during the current school year which can prohibit third graders from continuing to fourth grade.
Students can "exceed," "meet," "approach" or be "below expectations" on the test. If they approach or are below expectations on the English and Language Arts exam in third grade, the state law would require them to repeat third grade, go to summer school or attend tutoring.
This year, more is riding on the exam than ever. The chance of repeating the third grade is very much a possibility considering four out of five third-graders did not meet expectations on the test last year.
An expert from the University of Tennessee said these tests are critical for moving forward. Professor Dr. Deborah K. Reed is also the director of Tennessee Reading Research Center: A Reading 360 Initiative. She said she's dedicated her career to studying these tests and said they are in students' best interest.
"Starting to get into some basic comprehension, which is why we put a lot of emphasis on a test score in third grade. Because, in the earlier grades, they are very discreet small skills — 'Do you know the alphabet? Do you know the sounds the letters can represent?'" Reed said.
Educators want to know by third grade whether students will succeed, Reed said. The COVID-19 pandemic, she says, was a nationwide setback.
"They didn't develop in the same ways as they normally would have, had they received that consistent education. A lot of people refer to it as learning loss. I do not because you can't lose what you never learned," Reed said. "Tennessee has been a real leader in showing recovery from the pandemic with a lot of the efforts they've put towards accelerated student learning and making up for that lost instructional time."
Students who don't test to the state's expectations typically experience more difficulties, she said, which more often results in a domino effect.
"Your health, your mental health, and your physical health, your ability to manage chronic illnesses, to seek proper medical care are all associated with your literacy levels," Reed said.
Knox County will get the test results back on May 19. Then, parents will find out if their student has to go to summer school before starting fourth grade.
To help support literacy development in Tennessee, the state said it will spend $60 million of one-time federal COVID-19 relief funding and $40 million in federal grant funding to launch the Reading 360 program and invest in optional reading resources at no cost to the state or districts. To find resources near you, click here.