We oppose HB 5111: A bill on third grade reading retention

Michigan lawmakers are considering a pass/fail reading retention policy for 3rd grade students through House Bill HB 5111 Sponsored by Rep. Amanda Price.

Sec. 1280f. (1) Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, if a pupil enrolled in grade 3 in a school district or public school academy does not achieve a score of at least proficient in reading on the grade 3 state assessment, the board of the school district or board of directors of the public school academy in which the pupil is enrolled shall ensure that the pupil is not enrolled in grade 4 until the pupil achieves a score of at least proficient in reading on the grade 3 state assessment.

2) If a child seeks to enroll for the first time in a school district or public school academy in grade 4, the school district or public school academy shall not allow the pupil to enroll in grade 4 unless the pupil has achieved a score of at least proficient in reading on the grade 3 state assessment.

This legislation, however noble the intent leaves many troubling questions and concerns unanswered.

Does this law include special needs students or those with disabilities?
What happens if the child does not pass a second time?
How many times should a student be allowed to fail?
Will a 10 or 11 year old continue in third grade with 8 year olds until they are “proficient” according to some arbitrary test? Is the reason they failed because they struggle with actually knowing how to read or how to take a standardized test?
What if they are above grade level in math, won’t this cause them to repeat a subject in which they excel?
Will this lead to even earlier testing practice tests to make sure they are ready for this test?
How does the judgment of teacher factor into the decision to fail a student?

The primary motivation for Price’s bill is to motivate parents take to take responsibility for their child’s education, school accountability is a secondary concern. Parents, lawmakers believe you are the reason your child is not reading. But as a case in Highland Park demonstrates, parents were angry because they knew their children were not reading well-enough, yet the school refused to act.

Judges have ruled in favor of the parents and the ACLU and the case is proceeding through the courts. Here is a more current update that shows that reading proficiency is improving under new school management. Again, evidence that schools can and should be held accountable to teaching kids to read!

The worst part of this initiative is the timing. Common Core standards are developmentally inappropriate for children K-3 as we have learned from hundreds of early childhood professionals. The reading teaching techniques espoused in Common Core continue the emphasis on the failed Whole Language and do not shift emphasis back to the proven strategy of Phonics. It is more likely that FEWER kids will be reading at grade level during the implementation of the Common Core as the New York implementation demonstrates.

At least 15 states have adopted a strict third grade reading policy and many others are considering it right now. That is not a coincidence. The National Governors Association released a report in October, 2013 “A Governor’s guide to Early Literacy: Getting all children reading by third grade” that appears to be the impetus for state’s to take action. Education reformers appear to be following the same playbook that allowed Common Core to be adopted in nearly every state. Third grade reading proficiency isn’t the ultimate goal. Early intervention, universal preschool, and preschool tracking systems will become necessary in every state to make sure that kids can pass the third grade test. The report spells it out clearly in their action items,

Action 2: Expand access to high-quality child care, pre-kindergarten (pre-K), and full-day kindergarten interventions as early as possible.

5.4 Develop coordinated ECE and K-12 data systems to support quality improvement

Notice the emphasis on coordinating the data systems in ECE and K-12. Do we really need to collect data on preschoolers and have that data follow them through grade 12 and beyond? No. But apparently, parents can no longer be trusted to make sure their child enters school ready to learn and reading by third grade. High quality “no wait” preschool is the solution that will make sure that all children are in the system ready to be tracked.

Third grade reading retention is a necessary component that helps build the P-20 seamless education pathway from cradle to career very similar to the European model of centralized education. Several lawmakers seemed particularly sensitive to the dangers of becoming like Europe in a hearing last fall. Rep. Price’s bill, HB 5111 with the noble intent of literacy will unwittingly put us one step closer to doing exactly that very thing.

We oppose HB 5111 and encourage Rep. Price to withdraw her bill. We all support literacy but there are just too many unanswered questions and concerns to go forward at this time.