The State Board of Education is pressing Tennessee legislators to re-evaluate the state's reading and retention strategies, shifting the focus down to the tiniest tykes in kindergarten rather than singling out third graders. According to a resolution passed on Monday, the board wants lawmakers to consider earlier intervention measures, banking on new data that proponents believe could be more effectively applied.

Board member Ryan Holt tabled the resolution stating that while the efforts under Governor Bill Lee have been commendable, research indicates that the sooner a child is given proper reading support, the better their learning trajectory tends to pan out. Despite the vogue of academic jargon swirling about, the message is straightforward: earlier is better when it comes to literacy intervention. The resolution was discussed in a special-called, virtual meeting, as per a report by Knox News.

This pivot towards the formative years is,a undeniable reversal from the Tennessee Literacy Success Act of 2021, a law that put third graders under the microscope and made retention a possible fate for those not up to par on state tests. However, with this new resolution, the board is actively lobbying for a retention policy that would stretch to cover kindergarten through third grade, aiming to catch reading issues as early as possible.

"Retaining students in grades K-3 rather than grades 3-4 will ensure that students who are in the most need of additional reading support will have access to foundational literacy skills instruction at a critical point in their foundational literacy development should they be retained," the resolution reads, as detailed in a Chalkbeat report. Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds told the board, "Third grade is too late," signaling a strong consensus for earlier educational intervention.

Now, with a full deck of data from reading screeners conducted three times a year from kindergarten through third grade, Tennessee educators have a clearer vision of which kids are falling behind. The data accumulated is a treasure trove of insight into early literacy, and this resolution aims to put to good use what the reading assessments have been telling them all along. The comprehensive approach, if adopted, could radically alter the course of literacy development for countless children, a sentiment echoed in coverage by The Tennessean.