The Michigan House has approved an early literacy bill that requires that third-graders be held back if they lag in reading, unless they qualify for an exemption. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later in the afternoon and send it to Governor Rick Snyder for his expected signature. Starting in the 2019-20 school year, third-graders wouldn’t advance unless their state reading score is less than a grade level behind, they show proficiency through an alternative assessment or they demonstrate mastery through work samples. Parents could seek a “good cause” exemption letting kids still be promoted to fourth grade. The bill, which requires schools to intervene early when students are having reading problems, passed on a 60-47 party-line vote in the Republican-controlled House, with Democrats in opposition.
