Legislative requirements:

• An English language arts (ELA) diagnostic assessment must be given by September 30 of each year for students in kindergarten through Grade 3, starting in the 2012-13 school year.
• District boards of education must adopt board policies and procedures for annually assessing the reading skills of each student in grades K-3. These policies must specify that the diagnostic assessments for the Third-Grade Reading Guarantee be given by September 30 each year, beginning in the 2012-13 school year.
• If the diagnostic assessment shows that the student is not on-track to be reading at grade level by the end of the year, schools must provide the parents, in writing:
  •  Notice that the school has identified a reading deficiency with their child;
  •  A description of current services provided to the student;
  •  A description of proposed supplemental instruction services;
  • Notice that the Ohio Achievement Assessment for third-grade reading is not the only measure of reading competency; and
  • Notice that unless the student attains the appropriate level of reading competency by the end of Grade 3, the student will be retained.
• For each student shown to be not on-track, schools must:
  • Begin reading intervention immediately using research-based reading strategies targeted at the student’s identified reading deficiencies;
  • Develop a reading improvement and monitoring plan within 60 days of learning of the reading deficiency; and
  • Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, provide a teacher who has either passed a reading instruction test or has a reading endorsement on their teacher’s license.

How will the Third-Grade Guarantee impact Olentangy students?

Olentangy students will not experience a significant change under the new law.  As part of the district’s mission to facilitate maximum learning for every student, Olentangy already provides reading assessments to  students in kindergarten through third grade and supplies intervention and assistance to students identified as being in need of extra support.  The district is modifying existing procedures to meet the timing and language specified in the new law.

If a student is identified as being not on-track, the child’s teacher or principal will reach out to the family and begin the process of developing a plan to meet that student’s needs.

For more information, please visit the Ohio Department of Education website.