Tennessee, which as soon as counted on Mississippi’s worst-in-the-nation studying scores to raise its personal nationwide rating for literacy, is now trying to its neighbor to the south as a task mannequin for how one can enhance.

In a turnaround dubbed the “Mississippi miracle,” the state noticed its fourth-grade studying scores on a nationwide take a look at rise dramatically between 2013 and 2019, even for traditionally marginalized teams like Black and Hispanic college students. Mississippi additionally maintained its studying positive factors in 2022, whereas scores in most different states declined after the pandemic induced unprecedented disruptions to education.

Now underneath a number of 2021 legal guidelines, Tennessee is using lots of the similar techniques that Mississippi did underneath its 2013 legislation. Amongst them: prioritizing studying enhancements and investments in grades Ok-3, coaching lecturers on the “science of studying,” together with an emphasis on phonics, and — most controversial of all — requiring third graders to move a state studying take a look at to get promoted to the fourth grade.

Carey Wright, Mississippi’s training chief from 2013 to 2022, praised Tennessee throughout testimony Wednesday earlier than state lawmakers in Nashville who’re contemplating whether or not to make modifications to Tennessee’s insurance policies for holding third graders again.

“You’re actually to be recommended for the excellent nature by which you’ve approached this subject,” she mentioned, noting that Tennessee has even required its trainer coaching applications to vary how they train studying instruction, which Mississippi didn’t. 

Wright cited a latest Boston College research discovering that Mississippi third-graders who have been retained underneath that state’s legislation went on to attain considerably larger scores in English language arts by the sixth grade. The research additionally discovered that retention had no affect on different outcomes resembling attendance or identification for particular training.

However nationwide analysis about retention is blended. Critics argue that there are extra dangers than advantages — from adverse social and emotional results to a disproportionate affect on scholar teams who’re already marginalized, resembling those that come from low-income households, are of coloration, or have disabilities.

Why Tennessee zeroed in on third grade

Literacy is foundational to all subsequent studying, and third grade is taken into account a vital marker. Because the previous saying goes: You be taught to learn up till the third grade, and after that, you learn to be taught.

However for years, studying scores have been principally stagnant in Tennessee, with solely a couple of third of the state’s third graders displaying proficiency primarily based on state exams.

In 2011, lawmakers handed a retention legislation to attempt to deal with the issue, however the statute was largely unenforced, with few third graders being held again by native faculty leaders. 

“So right here we’re 12 years later having the identical dialogue,” mentioned Rep. Mark White, who chairs the Home Schooling Administration Committee and helped move the state’s new studying and retention insurance policies. 

“I personally am grateful that we handed a retention legislation … as a result of now now we have everyone’s consideration,” the Memphis Republican mentioned to kick off Wednesday’s listening to.

Home leaders have compiled a listing of 14 payments that goal to revise or tweak the legislation. They vary from gutting the retention provision altogether to giving native districts extra authority to find out which college students ought to be held again. Gov. Invoice Lee pressed for the 2021 legislation and needs to remain the course.

To keep away from retention, the legislation says third graders whose scores on state exams present they’re “approaching” proficiency should attend a summer season camp and exhibit “ample progress” on a take a look at administered on the camp’s finish, or they have to take part in a tutoring program within the fourth grade. College students who rating “beneath” proficiency should take part in each intervention applications.

Third graders are exempt from retention in the event that they have been held again in a earlier grade; have or could have a incapacity that impacts studying; are English language learners with lower than two years of English instruction; or retest as proficient earlier than the start of fourth grade.

Mother and father can also enchantment a retention choice if their youngster carried out on the fortieth percentile on a distinct take a look at that enables for comparisons with nationwide benchmarks, or if the kid skilled an occasion that fairly impacted the kid’s efficiency on the TCAP take a look at.

Pushback towards retention is widespread

Whereas Tennessee’s tutoring and summer season studying applications are standard, many mother and father and educators dislike the a part of the legislation that makes outcomes of the state’s standardized TCAP take a look at for English language arts the one criterion to find out whether or not third-graders can progress to the fourth grade. Quite a few faculty boards even have handed resolutions urging the legislature to revisit the brand new retention coverage.

On Wednesday, a number of district superintendents echoed that decision.

“I respectfully ask that you simply enable districts to make use of a number of information factors when making the monumental choice to retain a scholar, which might have critical long-term penalties,” mentioned Gary Lilly, director of Collierville Faculties in Shelby County.

Past the state’s take a look at, faculty districts usually give college students a number of assessments which might be particularly designed to gauge studying progress. All of them could possibly be thought of, Lilly mentioned, together with different elements resembling a scholar’s general achievement, attendance report, and emotional and social maturity.

Lilly famous that Tennessee additionally has among the many nation’s highest thresholds for measuring proficiency. The state started working to lift them when a 2007 U.S. Chamber of Commerce report gave Tennessee an “F” for reality in promoting, as a result of its requirements have been so low that the majority college students have been deemed proficient.

However Lilly prompt that Tennessee could wish to rethink these excessive thresholds.

“I’m not advocating to lower the rigor of our requirements,” he mentioned. “What I’m saying is that the TCAP take a look at shouldn’t be considered because the definitive authority to focus on college students for retention.”

The state’s one-year timeline for implementing the brand new retention coverage at scale is one other concern.

Jeanne Barker, director of Lenoir Metropolis Faculties, mentioned her district gained’t obtain TCAP outcomes till after the varsity yr ends, leaving little time for college kids to take the take a look at over or for households to determine about attending summer season studying camps or interesting retention selections to the state training division.

Penny Schwinn, Tennessee’s training commissioner, acknowledged the “tight timeline” however testified that no guardian ought to be shocked by the top of the varsity yr if their youngster is recognized as having a studying deficiency.

“Mother and father ought to be receiving notification that their youngster could also be in danger for needing extra helps two occasions earlier than we even get into testing season,” mentioned Schwinn, including that preliminary TCAP outcomes will change into out there the week of Might 19.

Advocates look past third grade

Coverage conversations that started with third grade studying proceed to gravitate towards earlier grades.

Wright mentioned Mississippi’s playbook emphasised the significance of literacy instruction and interventions for struggling readers as early as potential.

“My purpose was that, by the point third grade got here round, there shouldn’t even be a difficulty round third grade,” she mentioned. “We should always have captured these children a very long time in the past and made positive that they have been getting the interventions and the assistance that they wanted.”

Tennessee training advocates shared related sentiments.

Nancy Dishner, president and CEO of the Niswonger Basis supporting college students and educators in East Tennessee, mentioned her largest concern about Tennessee’s present initiative is that “we’re not doing it early sufficient.”

“We now have to maneuver again,” Dishner mentioned. “Beginning is when we have to begin serving to our children, not after they enter elementary faculty.”

Amy Doren, a 35-year educator and former coordinator of early childhood applications at Kingsport Metropolis Faculties, agreed. 

“Youngsters’s brains develop 90% to capability by age 5. So why would we not search to make an affect in these early years?” Doren requested. “That’s the place we wish our youngsters to be taught to be problem-solvers and significant thinkers, in order that after they get to the third grade, they’ll be able to deal with it.”

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.