Memphis-Shelby County Schools will require all third grade students to retake state standardized reading tests on the last two days of the school year because of a timing conflict with Tennessee’s data release schedule.
District officials said Thursday, May 7, that they’re implementing a universal retesting because of the high stakes nature of a 2021 Tennessee law that holds back some third-graders who don’t score as proficient on the state test.
The Tennessee Department of Education will release preliminary state testing results on May 20, the day before MSCS closes for summer break. Those late results mean the district wouldn’t have time to determine which students are eligible for retests, which can help underperformers avoid extensive interventions required by Tennessee’s third-grade reading law…