E

Although 60 percent of Tennessee third-graders have failed the reading-proficiency section of standardized testing and risk being held back a grade, Franklin County’s elementary supervisor of curriculum and instruction said the conditions are not as bad as they initially seemed locally.

Kim Tucker updated the School Board on May 30, saying that it appears only 12.7 percent of the system’s third graders will have to attend summer school or be held back from advancing to the fourth grade.

She said recently that 54 percent of the School System’s third-graders had failed the reading-proficiency segment.

However, Director of Schools Stanley Bean explained that some of the students retested and passed while others appealed and were allowed exemptions due to certain conditions, such as a language barrier or special-education learning disadvantages.

Tucker told the School Board that having fewer students subjected to repeating the third grade is welcome news.

“It’s something I’m very happy with,” she said.

Bean said the totals reflect that 48 of the system’s 381 students fit into the potential repeat category, which is far better than initially feared.

State law requires third-graders who score less than “met” or “exceeded expectations” on TN Ready tests to attend a summer reading camp or tutoring program or repeat the grade.

Tucker said recently that 87 percent of Franklin County third-graders were eligible for promotion without being required to attend summer camp. She added that the district is providing free resources and working with all third-grade parents to ensure all students advance to fourth grade by choosing one of the intervention paths being offered.

Tucker said she is optimistic that most of the third-graders will be promoted into the fourth grade.

She said this year’s third-graders were in kindergarten when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, effectively removing them from a normal classroom environment and putting them at a great learning disadvantage.

She added that this is the first year where they have spent most of their time in a classroom setting, and many are struggling academically to catch up.

“Those kindergarten children also had no formal education when they were in the first grade, and they were spotty at best,” Tucker said. “In the second grade, they were still spotty. Now, this is the first time they’ve had a pretty good dose of school, but it’s been spotty for them over the course of their entire time in school.”