If You Can Read This, You May Advance to Fourth Grade
Arizona Is Holding Back a Lot of Third Graders. Is It a Good Idea?
A new law in Arizona requires the state to fail—and hold back—third graders who haven’t learned to read. An estimated 1,500 students will be held back this year. Why are so many 9-year-olds struggling with literacy, how can schools and teachers best help them, and will this policy work? A panel of educators tackled these questions at an event co-presented by the Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at the Heard Museum. Arizona Republic education reporter Cathryn Creno, the evening’s moderator, opened the discussion by asking the panelists …
