Third grade retention laws date back to an early 2000s initiative by then Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s goal to end social promotion. They wanted to end the practice of promoting a student to 4th grade, even if they had poor reading skills.
Call us at 3D Learner at 561-361-7495, if you have any questions, or if you want advice on how to get your child to grade level or above
Understood.org, a very useful site for Learning and Attention issues, provided an interesting article on third grade retention laws. Their three key takeaways were:
- It may be helpful to get a copy of your state’s third grade retention law and ask the school to explain it.
- Depending on the state, students with IEPs or 504 plans may be able to move on to fourth grade without meeting the reading standard.
- Some retention laws include protections to help struggling kids long before third grade.
Florida has a reasonable third grade retention law, Senate Bill 1008.25. One key provision is that a parent has the right to ask for a portfolio to be started, once they are warned that third grade retention may happen.
A student portfolio is one of the good cause exemptions that is explained in this article from the Florida Department of Education on for parents on third grade retention and promotion to fourth grade.
Parent Mindset Makes The Difference to Beat 3rd Grade Retention
A few years ago, a parent called us in September. Her daughter’s school had told her that third grade retention was going to happen. She asked what she could do and was told “Accept it”.
She called a friend who gave her two choices, either:
- Take the 3D Learner Assessment, and then call them or
- Just call 3D Learner at 561-361-7495
She called us and for the first time understood that:
- Her daughter only needed to score a Level 2 on the test to be promoted
- We could probably get her daughter’s reading comprehension to grade level
We helped her daughter to get a Level 4 on the test — well above grade level. She has done extremely well every since. This year she will be graduating from high school in the top 10 percent of her class. All because her mother chose to make the difference and partner with 3D Learner.
If you would like help for your child either:
- Take the 3D Learner Success Assessment with your child and then call them or
- Just call 3D Learner at 561-361-7495
Note, our success assessment screens for a learning difference and attention and eye-teaming issues. Take the 3D Learner Success Assessment with your child — it is often an eye-opener. Then call us at 561-361-7495
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