It’s not just cities and communities that have taken up the grade-level reading banner. State policymakers are focusing on the importance
of third grade reading as well. There are bills in half a dozen state legislatures focusing on early literacy.

Some of the legislation calls for holding back struggling readers, an issue documented in this Education Week article and one being closely watched by the Campaign. We can’t afford to view this as a simple solution to a complex problem. We need a responsible approach to promotion that recognizes the path to third grade reading proficiency starts long before children arrive at school.

The bills include:

• In Connecticut, HB 5350, An Act Concerning Achieving Universal Literacy by  Grade Three, includes pieces on workforce development, parent
  engagement, and curriculum alignment as they pertain to grade-level reading. Connecticut is one of the best-represented states in the Grade-Level
  Reading Network with 13 communities involved.
• The Iowa House has passed a sweeping education reform plan that includes a controversial third grade retention measure. The Senate version of the
  bill doesn’t include the retention element.
• Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s new education initiative also recommends third grade retention in some cases. Under the plan, Ohio would test students every year beginning in kindergarten and would offer additional instruction as needed. Students not reading proficiently by the end of third grade and who had already participated in intervention plans for at least two years would automatically be held back.
• The Colorado House approved the Colorado Early Literacy Act, focused on improving reading skills in kindergarten through third grade. An earlier
  version of the bill would have required schools to retain third graders who were deemed to have “significant reading deficiencies.” After much
  opposition, the current incarnation of HB 12-1238 requires a meeting of parents, teachers, and school administrators to discuss retention.
• The Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education voted favorably on An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency (H.1853/S.188), a bill introduced last year. The bill focuses on five areas: curriculum, instruction, professional development,
  assessment, and family partnership, and would establish an Early Literacy Expert Panel.