CCS

Third Grade Retention Law

Tennessee Literacy Law

Tennessee state law requires school districts to identify 3rd-grade learners who aren't meeting reading expectations on TCAP assessments

TCAP

View your student's most recent TCAP information here

If your 3rd-grade student scores in one of the bottom two performance categories on the TCAP English Language Arts (ELA) Assessment, you will receive notification from your child's schools about pathways to move on to the 4th grade

Students scoring Below Expectations on the ELA TCAP will remain in 3rd Grade

UNLESS

The student attends summer school with a 90% attendance rate

AND

Attend tutoring during the 4th grade

Students scoring Approaching Expectations on the ELA TCAP will remain in 3rd grade

UNLESS

The students attends a summer school with a 90% rate AND the post-test demonstrates adequate growth

OR

Attend tutoring during the 4th grade

If a student’s pathway to be promoted to the 4th grade requires year-long high-dosage tutoring, then the state requires that the student must show adequate growth on the 4th Grade ELA TCAP in order to be promoted to 5th grade.

Exemptions

All students must take the summative TCAP assessments. Students exempt from the Retention Law include:

  • Special Education Students (on a case-by-case basis)

  • Previously Retained Students

  • ELL students receiving less that 2 years of ELA instruction

  • Approved appeals on the TN Department of Education

  • Retested students scoring proficient before the new school year