Read By Grade Three 

Good literacy skills are essential for a student to be successful in school and a career. In 2016, the Michigan Legislature passed the Third Grade Retention Law to ensure that students exit 3rd grade reading at or above grade level. If your child is reading below grade level at the end of 3rd grade, you will be informed in writing that your child will not be promoted to 4th grade unless he/she qualifies for an exemption. This year, Governor Whitmer signed Public Act 7 of 2023, which repeals the retention component of the Read by Grade 3 (RBG3) law (MCL 380.1280f), this change will not go into effect until March 2024, which means the retention portion of the law is still in effect for this school year. 

The law requires that all K-3 students are assessed at the beginning, middle and end of the school year. The law also requires districts to provide early and regular written communication with parents of K-3 students with reading difficulties. This information will be communicated to you in an Individual Reading Improvement Plan (IRIP). This report includes your child’s performance on a variety of reading assessments, instructional services being provided, additional reading support (if needed), and strategies for you to help your child at home (Read-At-Home plan). The District's ELA Curriculum includes a daily focus on individual reading goals and targeted small group instruction. 

Assessment and Intervention 

• The district has implemented i-Ready as our K-3 Initial Screener/ Diagnostic Reading Assessment.  It provides the data-driven insights that classroom teachers and school and district administrators need to determine exactly where to focus their instructional time to ensure all students are successful on assessments with rigorous standards.  
• Using data from i-Ready, the district generated Individual Reading Intervention Plans (IRIP) for all students.  
• The district purchased and has made available at both home and school i-Ready Online Instruction. Each student is placed in customized instruction for their learning needs that is engaging and fun.  

• Through grant funding, the district has purchased myOn,  an online platform that provides students with access to texts that align with both their interests and reading level.  Students can access this resource at school and home.  

Professional Development 

• All K-3 educators have been trained in how to utilize the data and instructional tools from i-Ready to plan teacher-led small group interventions and how to monitor students’ progress throughout the intervention. We offer ongoing training to ensure our teachers are supported and empowered to implement best practices for early literacy.  

Parent Engagement 

• The district also created and made available to educators Read at Home Plans.  These plans are designed to empower parents to support students at home with strategies that focus on each child's specific needs.  
• School leaders and teachers across the district host parent conferences for all qualifying students.  At these meetings, the IRIP is reviewed and parents are offered the opportunity to contribute to their child's plan.  Read at Home Plans are provided at each conference. 
     

Learn more about what the District is doing for literacy in our K-12 District Literacy Plan.

• Facts for Families: What is the Read by Grade Three Law? (English) 
• Facts for Families: What is a Good Cause Exemption Process? (English) 
• Facts for Families: What is the Read by Grade Three Law? (Spanish) 

• Facts for Families: What is a Good Cause Exemption Process (Spanish) 
• Facts for Families: What is the Read by Grade Three Law? (Arabic) 
• Facts for Families: What is a Good Cause Exemption Process (Arabic) 
• Michigan Read by Grade Three - Full Video (Spanish) 
• Michigan Read by Grade Three - Full Video (Arabic)