2020-2021 PROMOTION UPDATE
Under newly enacted legislation for the 2020-2021 school year (Section 18 of House Bill 164 of the 133rd General Assembly), no district, community school, STEM school or chartered nonpublic school shall retain a student in the third grade who does not meet the promotion score of 683 on the Ohio’s State Test for grade 3 English language arts if the student's principal and reading teacher agree that other evaluations of the student's skills in reading demonstrate the student is academically prepared to be promoted to the fourth grade. This provision applies to students who are in third grade for the 2020-2021 school year and would be enrolling in the fourth grade for the 2021-2022 school year, unless retained.
The promotion score of 683 established as the basis for promotion for third grade students completing the 2019-2020 school year and who will be in fourth grade (unless retained) at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year will remain the same for third grade students completing the 2020-2021 school year and who will be in fourth grade (unless retained) at the beginning the 2021-2022 school year.
Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a program to identify students from kindergarten through grade 3 that are behind in reading. Schools will provide help and support to make sure students are on track for reading success by the end of third grade. The department provides policy guidance, instructional tools, and resources on the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.