Bill passes in Tennessee General Assembly to change Fourth Grade Retention law

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — As standardized testing comes to an end in Knox County, students in fourth grade may be able to progress to fifth grade even if their TCAP English and language arts scores are low.

In a bill headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk, changes to the fourth-grade retention law could mean that students struggling with reading and writing could still progress if their parents, English and language arts teacher, and principal agree.

“I would say teachers and parents, and principals say you know they are excited about the possibility to sit down and collaborate together to determine what is right for each individual child,” said Knox County School’s executive director of learning and literacy, Dr. Erin Phillips.

Under the current fourth-grade retention law, students who are below proficient in their English and language arts section in their TCAP will be automatically retained.

“What this bill allows is for students to not just face automatic retention,” said Phillips, “but for them to have a conference with their principal, their current ELA teacher, and a parent or a legal guardian, to decide if the right course of action is to promote that student to fifth grade with year-long tutoring, or retain that student and have that student repeat the fourth grade.”

The decision will be up to the majority rule, but if they decide the student should be promoted to fifth grade, they will need to undergo what Phillips calls low-ratio high-dosage tutoring throughout the school year.

“Our students are engaged in tutoring at a minimum of two times per week for 30 minutes a session, with one teacher supporting three students,” she said, “so that low ratio of teacher to student ratio, and then high dosage, at least two times a week for 30 minutes.”

She believes tutoring will help students succeed in the long run.

“I think that providing more students to this service would provide additional growth, additional academic support, those students would be more likely to reach those academic gains that we’re hoping and close those gaps that they might currently have,” said Phillips.

The bill passed in the House and Senate Thursday, and Gov. Lee will have 10 days, excluding Sundays, to either sign or veto the bill. If the bill is signed it will apply to those currently in fourth grade.

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