HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Some teachers and parents in Tennessee are concerned anxious about the last-minute the release of third grader’s test scores.
State law requires that third graders who are found to ‘not be proficient in English language arts’ (ELA) be held back.
That determination is made based on the results of the “Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program” or T-CAP.
The state department of education says students found to be not proficient can still advance if they attend a summer course.
However, with just a few days left in school for many, the lack of test scores has left some parents unsure how to plan for the summer.
In 2024, 60 percent of third graders initially scored below proficiency in ELA on the end of year state tests.
That includes the number of students with disabilities who are exempt from the 3rd grade reading law.
In the end, less than one percent had to repeat the third grade after test retakes, tutoring, or summer programming.
With summer only a few days away in most counties, some parents are still wondering if their current 3rd grader will need to explore other avenues to move on to the next grade.
That is because of a Tennessee law that says students who do not meet or exceed expectations of reading proficiency have to take another path.
Jc Bowman with Professional Educators of Tennessee says…
“What will happen is we will find out how third grade students in Tennessee are doing on English language arts.”
The state says for those students who need another path, they can attend summer school, retake the test, or get tutoring.
“‘Oh, congratulations. You’re out for the summer.’ Except for 75,000 kids in third grade, about half of them will be below expectations, and they’ll need to come back and take tests or whatever.”
The problem? Bowman says the state keeps schools from releasing data that could change what parents need to do for their third-grader to advance.
“There’s no reason we couldn’t get that data out quicker, earlier, and I think it’s lackadaisical part by the state get that information out.”
Parents on Facebook shared comments agreeing with Bowman that timing of getting test results back isn’t ideal.
“The districts already have them, so they’ve already aware, but they’re embargoed by the state.”
We spoke with multiple school districts including Marion and Bradley County, who say they’re awaiting a go-ahead to inform parents about their student’s advancement status.
“I think with a smart test, they’re going to be quicker, and I think they’re showing that it works,” Bowman says.
Bowman says an AI powered test that other states are using could be the solution.
“Those two tests, you get the data back almost instantaneously.”
So, parents could be made aware more quickly if their student won’t move to fourth grade on test scores alone.
Bowman estimates that hold from the state will be lifted some time this afternoon.
