money Jackson-Madison Co. schools retest 3rd graders in reading as state reports low scores
The Jackson-Madison County School System is conducting a state-mandated retesting window for third graders who scored below proficiency on the 2022-23 TCAP state achievement test in an effort to accommodate a new state law regarding third grade retention.
According to the new state law, third graders across Tennessee, who fall into two categories, "below" and "approaching" reading proficiency are tagged to retake an English and Language Arts test during a two-week time frame from May 22 to June 5.
The JMCSS has not disclosed how many of its third grade students are mandated to retake an ELA version of the TCAP exam, following requests by The Jackson Sun.
However, ahead of press time Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Education released third grade average TCAP scores for each school district. Scores show low performance among students in JMCSS.
JMCSS average 2023 TCAP scores for third grade ELA are as follows:
40.88% - Below proficiency
39.52% - Approaching proficiency
15.97% - Meets proficiency
3.62% - Exceeds proficiency
19.59 - Total proficiency
- Courtesy of Tennessee Department of Education
The percentage of JMCSS students exempt from the state-mandated retesting is currently unknown, which would be factored into the total amount of third graders who are eligible to retest in reading.
The Tennessee Department of Education released on Friday a preliminary summary of third grade TCAP test results for each school district across the state (then not released publicly) so that educators could determine which third grade students need to be retested. Many school districts across the state at the time released the percentage of third graders affected in their districts.
However, the state has not released the full TCAP results for the 2022-23 school year for grades 3-5, as usually reported on the State Report Card in the fall. Only third grade average scores have been released.
JMCSS Superintendent Marlon King previously explained in an email to the Sun earlier this week that the "scores cannot publicly be released at this time."
Letter sent to parents
In a letter to parents, emailed to "families and community stakeholders" on Monday, the JMCSS said that 883 third grade students took the ELA TCAP test in April and that 375 third graders, or over 42%, are enrolled in Summer Learning Camp.
Summer camps were originally funded by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2021 to address learning loss among students during the pandemic. Students who are struggling to achieve proficiency are identified to attend summer learning programs. The camps are also open to any student who would like to attend, according to JMCSS correspondence.
The letter further explains that principals across JMCSS are in the process of sharing with parents raw preliminary scores from TCAP achievement tests to determine options for students.
"Schools are working with families to determine options and exemptions," the letter states.
According to King, families have many pathways that can lead to fourth grade promotion. He emphasized that just because a child did not reach proficiency on TCAP does not automatically mean the child will be retained.
"Many parents are concerned, but there are many pathways and options that can help students progress to the fourth grade," King said.
Who is exempt and what are the options?
For those third graders who received a mark of "below" or "approaching" on the ELA TCAP, the retake period began on May 22 and will continue through June 5, according to TDOE.
Students who retake the assessment will be notified within 48 hours of their promotion eligibility, according to TDOE.
Exemptions are determined by the district and King explained that "although some students may have fallen in these categories, there are exemptions that each school individually must consider."
The following students are considered "exempt":
Those held back in a prior grade
Students with disabilities or suspected disabilities that influence their development in literacy
English language learners who have received less than two years of English language arts instruction
After exemptions are factored in, the remaining children who scored below the threshold will be subject to the following guidelines.
Children who score as approaching proficiency must complete one of the following to move on to fourth grade:
Retest and score on grade level, with a retest window of May 22-June 5, which may vary by district
Enroll in summer school, meet 90% attendance and show adequate growth
Have a free state-provided tutor for the entirety of fourth grade
The state board of education defined "adequate growth" in a May 19 meeting as a student scoring at least 5 percentage points higher on a post-summer school test than their baseline score. The baseline can be either their initial TCAP English language arts score or their retake score.
Those who score as below proficiency have the following options to move on:
Retest and score on grade level
Enroll in summer school with 90% attendance rate and have a free state-provided tutor for the entirety of fourth grade
The measurement of "adequate growth" does not apply to students who scored as below proficiency. Retesting and summer school dates may vary by district.
Parents or legal guardians of students who score as approaching proficiency can also appeal retention decisions over the summer, according to the state education department. Students who scored in the 40th percentile or higher on a spring reading screening assessment or faced hardships during the days leading up to the TCAP can also appeal.
The appeal window is open from May 30-June 13.
JMCSS Deputy Superintendent Vivian Williams wrote in the email to parents that she encourages parents to respond to communications sent by the district in the upcoming days.
State results: Nearly two-thirds of students not proficient
Preliminary third grade ELA results from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program were released to school districts by the Tennessee Department of Education in the late afternoon on Friday, revealing that nearly two-thirds of third graders across the state do not meet proficiency standards.
More: Third grade reading scores: Tennessee reports 60% fall short on TCAP test
Previous results: JMCSS TCAP scores, 2021-22
The most recent state Report Card shows that 24.5% of students in the third through fifth grade met ELA proficiency during the 2021-22 school year.
More: How the West TN counties stacked up against each other in TNReady performance, ratings
Third through fifth graders were grouped together in the initial report card and were not differentiated between grade levels.
Comparatively across all grades in Tennessee as a whole, 36.5% of students met ELA proficiency standards.
Rachel Wegner and Kerri Bartlett contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Jackson-Madison Co. schools retest 3rd graders amid low reading scores
