The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) today emphasized the availability of numerous educational pathways aimed at assisting 3rd and 4th grade students who require additional learning support. To aid districts and schools in collaboration with families to identify the most suitable educational route for their students, TDOE has introduced new and updated resources.
Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education, affirmed the department’s commitment to providing resources and support to enable families and educational institutions to make well-informed decisions regarding students’ academic paths. Reynolds praised the commitment of Tennessee’s districts, schools, and educators towards guiding families and students towards successful future academic achievements.
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This initiative follows the enactment of two significant pieces of legislation in 2021 by Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, aimed at ensuring all students receive the necessary support to achieve grade-level proficiency in reading and other academic areas. Under this legislation, 3rd grade students who achieve scores indicating they are “approaching expectations” or “below expectations” on the English Language Arts (ELA) section of the TCAP assessment are entitled to receive essential learning support services from their schools at no cost. These support services include the opportunity to retake the TCAP, participate in free summer camps, and/or receive tutoring in the following school year.
The law was recently amended to extend additional support to families of 4th grade students who have already taken advantage of free summer camp and tutoring, offering them another pathway for promotion to the 5th grade.
For more detailed information regarding the promotion pathways and exemptions as outlined in the legislation, TDOE has made a graphic available for review by interested parties.
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