The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) says it has approved the appeals of more than 81 percent of students who filed one hoping to avoid retention under the new Third-Grade Retention Law.
TDOE opened the appeal process May 30 and the department has received appeals from 8,206 students since then. As of Monday morning, TDOE says it has approved 6,698 appeals and 434 are still under review.
The department says it denied 642 student appeals and the remaining 432 appeals were not applicable due to student eligibility.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed the Third-Grade Retention Law in 2021 to ensure students who showed they need additional support in reading on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) would receive additional support through tutoring and/or summer school before being promoted to fourth-grade.
Students who tested at the “approaching proficiency” level on the TCAP can qualify for an appeal if they meet either of these criteria.
- Their student received a score at or above the 40th percentile on their spring universal reading screener. TDOE will pull this from data reported to the state by your district using the student’s state ID.
- A catastrophic situation, such as a death in the immediate family, loss of a family home, or significant medical diagnosis, occurred during the days leading up to the TCAP test that impacted the third-grade student’s ability to perform on the test.
“Parents across the state are engaging in their child’s education and choosing the best pathway to ensure they are set up for success,” said Interim TDOE Commissioner Sam Pearcy. “We will continue to provide resources and supports as districts and schools have essential conversations with families of students who are not yet proficient and may benefit from additional learning supports like summer camp or tutoring throughout next school year.”
The department will continue accepting appeals on the state’s official site through June 30.
