Good afternoon,
You will be receiving a letter from the superintendent within the next couple of days. The letter will be in regards to the Read By 3rd Grade legislation. I have attached a copy of the letter. The next three paragraphs include highlights of that letter.
In 2016, the Michigan Legislature passed Public Act 306 to ensure that by the end of third grade all students are reading at or close to grade level. (To find out more about the Read by Third Grade Law and the District’s work to further support students and inform parents, please review the Read by Third Grade Task Force blog at https://edsa.dearbornschools.org/michigans-read-by-third-grade-law-public-act- 306/.)
Based on this law, third grade students must score 1253 or higher in reading on the state M-STEP assessment in order to be promoted to fourth grade. Students who do not score proficient on the M-Step should expect to receive a letter by May 23rd or 14 days after the state receives the assessment results.
If you receive a letter from the state of Michigan saying that your child is being retained in third grade based on their M-STEP score, you have the right as their legal guardian to request a good cause exemption. Dearborn Public Schools will hold parent meetings at our schools immediately after the state sends out these notifications. School staff will explain the good cause exemption process and will support parents in filing an exemption within the required 30 days after parents receive the letter. If approved, an exemption request will allow your child to continue on to fourth grade.
Based on the criteria set by the state, last year Nowlin school would have had no students meet the criteria for retention. We have been watching the legislation very closely and implementing best practices to support our students. Some of these practices include: extended school day for reading and implementation of strong Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports. These supports include individualized instruction from the teacher and supports from specially trained staff. We have weekly meetings on struggling students and have had parents sign contracts of understanding for all students below the 50th percentile.
While I believe our students are moving along appropriately and those who are not are receiving the support they need, it is important to stay informed. We will be holding a brief meeting to help understand the Read By 3rd Grade legislation at the PTA meeting on Monday, February 10th, at 6pm.
thank you,
Dr. Tynan