Third and Fourth Grade Promotion

The Tennessee General Assembly has revised the state’s law regarding the promotion of students from third grade, T.C.A. § 49-6-3115, and requires students who are determined to need additional supports in reading to receive them before being promoted to fourth grade.

Under this requirement, third-grade students who do not reach proficiency (with a score of approaching or below) on the ELA section of the TCAP assessment will have the opportunity to retest.

• If your student did not reach proficiency on the ELA section of the TCAP test, you received a message on Monday, May 20, 2024, to sign up for a retake test.
• If your student does not participate in the retake assessment, he or she will be required to participate in summer learning camp beginning on May 29, 2024, and/or receive year-long tutoring services throughout the upcoming school year. 
• If your student did not participate in TCAP testing, he/she must participate in the retake test.

Retake testing will take place on May 22, 2024, or May 23, 2024. This is an optional test and not required; however, you must notify KCS if the student is participating in the retake.

If students receive a score of “approaching” or “below” on their retake, families will receive a message on May 24, 2024, notifying them of next steps. 

» FAQ's » Policies » Appeals » Promotion Timeline » 4th Grade Pathways  » Adequate Growth Determination » 2024 Promotion Pathways Presentation

What Parents Need to Know

The law (TCA 49-6-3115) requires that students who score in the bottom two achievement categories on the literacy component of the 3rd grade TCAP, our state’s annual comprehensive assessment, receive certain supports or be retained in the 3rd grade. Those supports are summer school and/or tutoring.

To meet the expectations of this law, Knox County Schools will be expanding our summer school options for rising fourth graders and expanding our literacy tutoring offerings for 4th grade students in the 2024-25 school year.

Exemptions from the required supports and possible retention

•   English learners who have received less than two years of ELA instruction 
•   A student who was previously retained
•   A student who retests before the next school year and scores proficient in ELA

Note: As KCS currently interprets and understands the law, students with disabilities, reading deficits, and/or suspected reading deficits as defined by a student’s IEP and/or the initiation of an S-Team whose disability or suspected disability are the likely cause of their reading achievement scores, will NOT be retained, regardless of whether or not the student meets TDOE’s threshold.  

Parent Appeals

If a 3rd grade student scores "approaching expectations" on the ELA portion of the TCAP or ELA TCAP retake, the child's parent may submit an appeal within the designated appeal timeline upon receiving the retention decision from their child's school.  Authorized school personnel (principal, guidance counselor, teacher, or other administrator) may also file an appeal on behalf of a parent if written consent is received.

The appeals window is open from May 28 – June 28, 2024. All appeals must be submitted during the window and through the appropriate form for consideration. 

How can you support literacy development at home?

Governor's Early Literacy Foundation - Family Reading Time at Home Guides

Looking for a way to enrich story time with your child? These one-page help sheets provide families with discussion questions, activities, and a helpful book summary – all designed to make reading even more fun!

K-3 Home Learning Toolkit - Developmental Themes, Suggested Books & Activities

Practice makes reading and writing easier, and this list of family-friendly activities will help support literacy development at home.

Reading 360 - Family Reading Resources

Students can learn a lot about reading from their families. This flyer provides activities to promote the sounds-first approach to reading, to model positive reading behaviors, and to support struggling readers.

KCS Summer Scholars Guide

The KCS Summer Scholars Guide is a resource for grades K-8 families to minimize summer learning loss and prepare for the upcoming school year. These optional activities help students maintain and expand their academic growth over the summer, with review material from the previous year and academic goals for the upcoming year. It also includes a list of reading topics and suggested educational websites.

Starting with Sounds

In collaboration with Tennessee’s six PBS stations, the Tennessee Department of Education created “Starting with Sounds” to highlight the importance of early literacy and how families and students can practice reading.

Literacy Foundational Skills Online Tool

Practice makes reading and writing easier, and this list of family-friendly activities will help support literacy development at home.