• 3rd Grade RTA Portfolio

    Overview:

    Read to Achieve offers 3rd-grade students an alternative means for Good Cause Exemption from retention. Students who demonstrate, through a student reading portfolio, reading proficiency appropriate for third-grade students, qualify for the Good Cause Exemption. Student reading portfolio and review processes used by the district is approved by the State Board of Education. The 2023-2024 Grade 3 Student Reading Portfolio Implementation Guide will be added when released by the state accountability department). Parents or guardians of students not demonstrating reading proficiency are encouraged to enroll their students in a summer reading camp provided by the district. Parents or guardians of a student not demonstrating reading proficiency shall make the final decision regarding a student's reading camp attendance. Local school administrative units shall provide at least one opportunity for students not participating in a reading camp to demonstrate reading proficiency appropriate for third-grade students on an alternative assessment or through a student reading portfolio process approved by the State Board of Education prior to retaining the student. 

    Note: The office of Early Learning also extended an opportunity to grades 4 and 5 to create a student literacy portfolio in English Language Arts.  Instructional passages are provided to provide additional enhancements to core instruction. 

    Background Knowledge:

    A student Reading Portfolio is a compilation of independently produced student work selected by the student’s teacher, beginning during the first half (October) of the school year, and signed by the teacher and principal, as an accurate picture of the student’s reading ability. The student reading portfolio includes an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the State’s reading standards that are assessed by the State-approved standardized test of reading comprehension administered to third-grade students. A single piece of evidence may show mastery of up to two standards. For each benchmark standard, three examples of student work must show mastery by a grade of seventy percent (70%) or above.

    Process for Decision-Making at the End of Grade 3

    The flow chart below depicts the procedure for students at the end of their third-grade year

    1. Students take the 3rd-grade EOG.
    2. If they are proficient, they are promoted to Grade 4.
    3. If they are not proficient, they may qualify for a “good cause exemption” and be promoted to Grade 4.
    4. If they do not qualify for a “good cause exemption,” then they may take a retest of the EOG (different form) and/or the Read to Achieve alternative assessment. 
    5. If they are proficient on one of these assessments, they are promoted to Grade 4.
    6. If they are not proficient on one of these assessments, they are encouraged to attend reading camp.
    7. The parent makes the decision regarding student attendance at reading camp.
    8. Students who received a good cause exemption may attend reading camp for free.
    9. After reading camp, the student may achieve proficiency by passing the Read to Achieve alternative assessment OR by passing with a completed student reading portfolio OR by passing the local alternative assessment approved by the SBE. The parent has an option of sending a student to a private reading support program. The parent may provide documentation to the LEA after completion of the reading support program. The LEA may use this documentation when considering placement of the student for the following year. Any funding for a private reading support program is the responsibility of the parent.
    10. Students not attending reading camp shall be provided an opportunity to take the Read to Achieve alternative assessment or local alternative assessment on an LEA designated day.
    11. If students are proficient by any means (RtA alternative assessment, local alternative assessment, or student reading portfolio), then they are promoted to Grade 4.

    Students who are not proficient are offered the following opportunities:

    1. Students not demonstrating proficiency shall be encouraged to enroll in a reading camp prior to being retained.
    2. Students not demonstrating proficiency shall be provided with a selected teacher based on demonstrated student outcomes in reading proficiency and placed in an accelerated reading class or
    3. Students not demonstrating proficiency shall be provided with a selected teacher based on demonstrated student outcomes in reading proficiency and placed in a transitional third and fourth-grade class as appropriate.
    4. The decision for placement of the students should be made based on a comprehensive, balanced assessment system including formative, benchmark, and summative assessments; observations; historical data; student grades; and classroom and reading camp performance (if applicable).
    5. The SBE shall establish a mid-year promotion policy for any student retained who, by November 1, demonstrates reading proficiency. 
    6. Parents or guardians of students who have been retained twice shall be offered supplemental tutoring outside of the instructional day.

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    Attachment: Reading Portfolio Implementation Guide

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