Michigan third-grade reading

Michigan Senate Republicans signaled they want to reverse some of the key changes to education policy Democrats made last year.

The Legislature is expected to adjourn for the year on Tuesday, so 67+ bills will take effect 91 days later on Feb. 13, including changes to abortion rights, pension taxes and gun regulations.

Michigan lawmakers approved a third-grade reading law in 2016 aimed at improving literacy instruction across the state. But years later, too many students still read below grade level.

With complete control of governance, Democrats passed a raft of liberal bills within their first 100 days. Republicans are annoyed, sounding much like Democrats from years past. Now comes the hard part.

Michigan Democrats finalized legislation Tuesday that would repeal part of a GOP law that required schools to hold back struggling readers who are a year or more behind after third grade. Research shows Black and low-income students were far more likely to be held back.

Vote mostly along party lines would nix requirements that third graders behind in reading repeat the grade. Democrats say it didn’t work; GOP said it didn’t have a chance to.

Democratic lawmakers are moving quickly to remove the part of the state’s third grade reading law that requires students a year or more behind to repeat the grade. The bill passed out of a Senate committee Tuesday.

Chronic absenteeism, charter school transparency, third-grade retention and early childhood education are expected to be top issues this year as Democrats take the full levers of power in Lansing.

Proponents of third grade reading law say it helps keep schools accountable. Opponents holding students back is no solution.

Michigan’s Read by Grade 3 law requires struggling third-grade readers be held back, but exemptions meant only 545 students were held back this year. Struggling readers who were Black or low-income were far more likely to repeat third grade white, more affluent readers who struggled.

Tuesday’s election put Democrats in charge of the state House, Senate and governor’s office. That could mean bonuses for teachers, more funding for vulnerable districts and an end to the third-grade reading law.

As students and schools try to recover from the pandemic, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon have vastly different plans for how to improve Michigan schools and colleges.

Scores in math and English/Language Arts were mostly down this year compared to before the pandemic on the Michigan standardized test known as M-STEP. The results are likely to heavily impact education spending priorities.

There is a steep increase this year in the percentage of third-graders behind in reading skills — a troubling trend that was far worse for students who spent significant time learning remotely when they were in second grade during the pandemic.

Nearly 5,700 families have been notified that their children tested a year or more behind in reading, making them eligible to be held back a year. But few children actually repeat third grade due to generous loopholes in the law.

The Democratic package would not use standardized test scores this year to evaluate teachers or enforce Michigan’s third-grade reading law in recognition of the disruptions caused by the pandemic. It’s unclear if Republicans will give the bills a hearing.

Testing season begins Monday in the state’s K-12 schools, with changes in store thanks to the impact of the pandemic and evolving views on the role of standardized testing.

Michigan’s efforts to boost third-grade reading skills took a hit during the pandemic, with teachers reporting less time to provide targeted support to struggling readers, particularly more vulnerable readers, an MSU report found.

More than 90 percent of students flagged for retention were promoted, a study finds. Low-income and Black third-graders were more likely to be held back because of poor reading scores.

African-American and low-income third-graders were far more likely to be flagged for possible retention due to low reading test scores than their white or non-poor classmates. How many students are actually being held back remains unclear.