THIRD GRADE READING GUARANTEE | Policy Manual | Southern Local Schools (Perry)

2623.02 - THIRD GRADE READING GUARANTEE

All students entering the third grade are expected to demonstrate a certain level of competency in reading before advancing to the fourth grade.

In accordance with State law, the Superintendent shall develop a program for the annual assessment of the reading skills of each student at the end of first, second, and third grade and identify those students who are reading below their grade level. Each student's classroom teacher shall be involved in the assessment and identification of those students who are reading below grade level. The assessment may be administered electronically using live, two-way video and audio connections whereby the teacher administering the assessment may be in a separate location from the student.

The District shall provide intervention services to students whose assessments show that they are failing to make satisfactory progress toward attaining the academic standards for their grade level.

Definitions

"On track" means a student is reading at or above the student's grade level based on previous end-of-year standards expectations by September 30th.

"Not on track" means a student is reading below the student's grade level based on previous end-of-year standards expectations by September 30th.

Assessment of Reading Skills Program

Diagnostic assessments in reading, as approved by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), shall be given by September 30th of each year for students in grades one (1) through three (3), with the exception of students with significant cognitive disabilities or other disabilities as authorized by the DEW on a case-by-case basis. For kindergarten students, the kindergarten readiness assessment shall be administered not earlier than the first day of July of the school year and not later than the 20th day of instruction for that school year. For students enrolled in first, second, or third grade, the diagnostic assessments in reading shall be administered at least once annually (R.C. 3313.608, 3313.0715).

The District shall administer each applicable diagnostic assessment to any student who transfers into the District or into a different school within the District who did not take a diagnostic assessment at the student's previous school during the current school year unless the student is excused from taking the assessment as provided for in the preceding paragraph. The diagnostic assessment(s) shall be administered within thirty (30) days of transfer (R.C. 3313.0715).

After the administration of any diagnostic assessment, the District shall provide to each student's parent a copy of the student's completed diagnostic assessment, the results of such assessment, and any other accompanying documents used during the administration of the assessment. The preceding documents and information shall be included in any reading improvement and monitoring plan(s) developed with respect to the student. The District shall also submit to the DEW the results of the diagnostic assessments administered pursuant to this section, except the results of the kindergarten readiness assessment shall be submitted to the Department of Children & Youth.
Diagnostic assessment results shall be translated to DEW's definitions of "on track" and "not on track". The District shall make the final determination regarding whether a student is "on track" or "not on track".
If the diagnostic assessment shows that a student is "not on track" to be reading at grade level by the end of the year, the parent will be notified, in writing, of the following:
1. that the school has identified the student as having a substantial deficiency in reading
2. a description of current services provided to the student
3. a description of proposed supplemental instructional services and supports that will be provided to the student that are designed to remediate the identified areas of reading deficiency
4. that the statutorily prescribed assessment is not the sole determinant of promotion and that additional evaluations and assessments are available to the student to assist parents and the District in knowing when a student is reading at or above grade level and ready for promotion
5. that the student will be retained in the third grade if the student does not attain a score in the statutorily prescribed level on the third grade English Language Arts assessment unless the student is exempt as delineated below, and
6. a statement that connects the child's proficiency level in reading to long-term outcomes of success related to proficiency in reading
For each student identified to be "not on track", the District shall:
1. provide intensive reading instruction services and regular diagnostic assessments immediately following the identification of a reading deficiency until the development of a reading improvement and monitoring plan;
  
  The intervention services shall be aligned with the science of reading as defined under State law and include research-based reading strategies that have been shown to be successful in improving reading among low-performing readers and instruction targeted to the student's identified reading deficiencies.
2. develop a reading improvement and monitoring plan (RIMP) within sixty (60) days of learning of the reading deficiency;
  
  The District shall involve the student's parent/guardian and classroom teacher in developing the plan.
3. assign a teacher who has at least one (1) year of teaching experience and satisfies one (1) or more of the following criteria:
  1. holds a reading endorsement and has attained a passing score on the corresponding assessment, as applicable
  2. has obtained a master's degree with a major in reading
  3. was rated "most effective" for reading instruction consecutively for the most recent two (2) years based on assessments of student growth measures developed by a vendor and that is on the list of DEW-approved student assessments
  4. was rated "above expected value added" in reading instruction, as determined by criteria established by the DEW, for the most recent consecutive two (2) years
  5. has earned a passing score on a DEW-approved rigorous test of principles of scientifically research-based reading instruction
  6. holds an educator license for teaching grades pre-kindergarten through three (3) or four (4) through nine (9) issued on or after July 1, 2017

The District may alternatively assign a teacher with less than one (1) year of teaching experience, provided the teacher meets at least one (1) of the criteria (a-f) set forth above and the teacher is assigned a qualified teacher mentor. The student also may receive reading intervention or remediation services from a duly licensed speech-language pathologist.

Finally, nothing in this Policy shall prevent a teacher, other than a student's classroom teacher (i.e., teacher of record), from providing the requisite reading intervention or remediation services to the student, so long as the assigned teacher has at least one (1) year of teaching experience, satisfies at least one (1) of the criteria (a-f) set forth above, and both the classroom teacher and the building principal agree to the assignment. Such an assignment must be documented in the student's reading improvement and monitoring plan.

Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan (RIMP)

A reading improvement and monitoring plan will be provided until the student achieves the required level of skill in reading for the student's current grade level. The RIMP developed for students identified as "not on track" shall include:

identification of the student's specific reading deficiency;
a description of supplemental instructional services and support that will be provided to the student to remediate the identified reading deficiencies;
opportunities for the student's parent/guardian to be involved in the instructional services and support;
a process to monitor the implementation of the student's instructional services and support;
a reading curriculum during regular school hours that assists students to read at grade level, provides scientifically based and reliable assessments, and provides initial and ongoing analysis of each student's reading progress;
a statement that if the student does not attain at least the equivalent level of achievement designated under R.C. 3301.0710(A)(3) on the assessment prescribed to measure skill in English language arts expected by the end of third grade, the student may be retained in third grade; and
high-dosage tutoring opportunities aligned with the student’s classroom instruction through a State-approved vendor on the list of high-quality tutoring vendors, or a locally approved opportunity that aligns with high-dosage tutoring best practices. High-dosage tutoring shall include additional instruction time of at least three (3) days per week or at least fifty (50) hours over thirty-six (36) weeks.

Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, the District will utilize evidence-based reading intervention programs that focus on intensive, explicit, and systematic instruction in phonetic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing from a list developed by the DEW. The District will not use and will not seek a waiver to use the three-cuing approach to teach students in grades pre-kindergarten to five (5) who have a RIMP except as permitted by law.

Reporting Requirements

All assessment results and determinations shall be compiled and maintained by the District. The District shall comply with all reporting requirements of Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

Promotion/Retention

No student shall be promoted to the fourth grade who does not attain at least the equivalent level of achievement designated by R.C. 3310.0710(A)(3) on the assessment prescribed to measure skill in English language arts (ELA) expected at the end of third grade unless the student is excused from taking the assessment pursuant to R.C. 3301.0711(C), or one (1) of the following applies:

the student is an English Learner who has been enrolled in United States schools for less than three (3) full school years and has had less than three (3) years of instruction in English as a second language program; or
the student is a child with a disability entitled to special education and related services under R. C. Chapter 3323 and the student's individualized education program (IEP) exempts the student from retention under State law; or
the student demonstrates an acceptable level of performance on an alternative standardized reading assessment as determined by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW); or
all of the following apply:
1. The student is a child with a disability entitled to special education and related services under R.C. Chapter 3323.
2. The student has taken the third grade English language arts achievement assessment, as prescribed.
3. The student's IEP or Section 504 Plan shows that the student has received intensive remediation in reading for two (2) school years, but still demonstrates a deficiency in reading.
4. The student previously was retained in any of grades kindergarten to three (3).
the student received intensive remediation for reading for two (2) school years but still demonstrates a deficiency in reading and was previously retained in any of grades kindergarten to three (3); or

Any such student shall continue to receive intensive reading instruction in grade four (4). The instruction shall include an altered instructional day that includes specialized diagnostic information and specific research-based reading strategies that have been successful in improving reading among low-performing readers.
a student’s parent or guardian, in consultation with the student’s reading teacher and building principal, requests that the student, regardless of if the student is reading at grade level, be promoted to fourth grade. Any such student will continue to receive intensive reading instruction in the same manner as a student retained until the student is able to read at grade level.

A student retained under the provisions of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and this policy shall be considered for mid-year promotion if that student demonstrates that the student is reading at or above grade level, in accordance with the provisions of Policy 5410 - Promotion, Academic Acceleration, Placement, and Retention. Such action shall be considered in consultation with the parent/guardian and the Student Intervention Team and with the concurrence of the building principal.

Intensive Remediation Services

Remediation services for students on reading improvement and monitoring plans shall be aligned with the science of reading as defined by State law and include research-based reading strategies that have been shown to be successful in improving reading among low-performing readers.

If a student is retained by the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, the student must be provided intense remediation services until the student is able to read at grade level. The remediation services must include intense interventions and consist of at least ninety (90) minutes of reading instruction daily.

The District shall provide the option for students to receive reading intervention services from one (1) or more providers other than the District. Both the District and the DEW have the authority to screen and approve such providers.

Interventions for students who have been retained may include:

small group instruction;
reduced student-teacher ratios;
more frequent progress monitoring;
tutoring or mentoring;
transition classes containing third and fourth grade students;
summer reading camp; or
extended school day, week, or year.

Intensive remediation services shall be targeted to the student's identified reading deficiency.

Nothing in this policy shall prevent the District from assigning a teacher to teach reading to any student who is an English Learner and has been in the United States for three (3) years or less, or to a student who has an individualized education program ("IEP"), if that teacher holds a DEW-approved alternative credential or has successfully completed DEW-approved training that is based on principles of scientifically research-based reading instruction.

This policy shall be reviewed and updated periodically as necessary.

Revised 5/16/13

Revised 11/21/13

Revised 5/19/16

Revised 10/19/23