By Michigan Radio Stateside Staff
Read at grade level or you could get held back. Those are the options for Michigan third graders starting next year.
That’s thanks to a 2016 law aimed at boosting the state’s educational performance. It makes Michigan one of 16 states with similar laws that hold students back if they aren’t reading by the third grade.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently called this law “destructive,” and promised to do everything she can to stop it.
Michelle Richard is vice president of Public Sector Consultants. She explains that the legislation requires school districts to offer extra support to students who struggle with reading. Districts now must assess student reading in earlier grades, and create plans that connect children with the interventions they need to get reading by the third grade.