Reading (Elementary)

Move on When Reading ARS §15-701

Arizona Revised Statute § 15-701 states that if a student scores below the cut score on the reading portion of the 3rd grade state standardized exam, he/she will not be promoted to the 4th grade until sufficient progress is made to demonstrate the student is reading proficiently. 

There are four good cause exemptions to retention for 3rd grade students who fail to meet the MOWR cut score. These apply if a student:

• Is an English learner or a limited English proficient student and has had fewer than three years of English language instruction; OR
• Is in the process of a special education referral or evaluation and/or student has been diagnosed as having a significant reading impairment, including dyslexia; OR
• Has an identified disability and has an IEP and the IEP team (including parents) agrees that promotion is appropriate;
• OR Has demonstrated or subsequently demonstrates sufficient reading skills or adequate progress towards sufficient reading skills of the 3rd grade reading standards 

For students being retained, the school district governing board shall offer at least one of the following intervention and remedial strategies developed by the state board of education. These include:

• A requirement that the pupil be assigned to a different teacher for reading instruction
• Summer school reading instruction
• In the next academic year, intensive reading instruction that occurs before, during or after the regular school day, or any combination of before, during and after the regular school day
• Online reading instruction  

Annually the school district will provide parents of kindergarten through 3rd grade students, written notification of the law. 

Additionally, if a school has determined that a pupil is deficient in reading and may be at risk of falling far below on the reading portion of the 3rd grade state standardized exam, a separate notification shall be provided to the parent of that student. That letter will include specific information regarding the reading services the student is receiving.