From Greenville City Schools
By Kitty Davis, Greenville Elementary Principal
The Third Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG) is a method to identify students in grades kindergarten through third grade who are behind in reading. Third grade students at Greenville Elementary initially took the two-part Ohio Grade 3 English Language Arts test on October 27 and October 28, 2021. This test is designed to measure whether students meet the requirements of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee for promotion to fourth grade. For 2021-2022, Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee score expectations remained unchanged from the previous two school years. Currently, the mandate indicates that third grade students meet a minimum passing score of 46 (or a scaled score of 683) on the state reading assessment. This cut-score was pre-determined by the Ohio Department of Education, and it should be noted is one point higher than the required score during the 2018-2019 school year.
A second administration of the Ohio Grade 3 English Language Arts assessment will occur in late March 2022. In order to prepare for the upcoming, state-wide, on-line assessment, the third grade students have been receiving forty minutes of technology/keyboarding instruction a week in addition to their daily language arts instruction. Additionally, within the classrooms, students are utilizing their iPads for reading of skill level appropriate books, vocabulary remediation, and spelling practice. This also helps students with practicing technology and keyboarding skills which are utilized during testing.
Prior to state testing, the third grade population already had one opportunity to meet the Third Grade Reading Guarantee Promotion Score by taking the reading portion of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) in September. The questions on the MAP are designed to mimic the types of questions with which students were presented on the Ohio Grade 3 ELA administration. A minimum score of 194, again as determined by the Ohio Department of Education, is needed on the reading portion of the MAP assessment in order to be promoted to fourth grade. It should be noted, this is also a one point increase from the 2018-2019 school year expectations.
The September MAP results were recently communicated to parents during parent teacher conferences. A reading improvement and monitoring plan (RIMP) was developed for any third grade student who was “not on track” at the beginning of the year as indicated by the MAP measurement. This plan described to parents what interventions are being utilized to ensure their child’s reading success. Students who are on a RIMP are intervened with at least thirty minutes daily in a small group setting working at his/her instructional reading level. Parents are encouraged to contact their third grade child’s language arts instructor with any questions regarding the Third Grade Reading Guarantee requirements, RIMPs, or ways to assist their child with reading.