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District outlines summer reading camp and third‑grade retention process under Act 114; projects roughly 35 students at risk
Summary
District student‑services staff described the summer reading camp and third‑grade retention process required by Act 114 and projected about 35 third‑grade students could be retained without successful summer reassessment or a good‑cause exemption.
District student‑services staff presented the summer reading camp plan required under Act 114 and explained how the district determines which third‑grade students must attend and how final retention decisions are made.
The presenter said the district uses winter I‑Ready scores as a primary indicator to notify parents that their child is at risk; when state SC Ready results arrive, students scoring below the “approaches” level are moved into retention determination protocols. The presenter said a student can be exempted from retention if they meet one of several “good cause” categories (students with IEPs, 504 plans, prior retention with multiple years of intervention, limited English proficiency with less than two years of instruction, or a qualifying spring formative assessment score).
The presenter said summer reading camp provides targeted intervention (the district will administer I‑Ready or another approved reassessment option) and that students who reach the district’s I‑Ready cut score (noted in presentation as 489) could earn a good‑cause exemption and be promoted. The presenter emphasized that under state guidance the district cannot promote students who do not meet a good‑cause exemption after the reassessment; parents retain the right to appeal to the superintendent but the district said it is bound by state standards.
Staff summarized counts for the cohort at the district’s elementary level: starting fall counts of students flagged (253), falling to 184 in winter and 140 in spring after interventions; the presenter projected about 35 students could be retained if they do not meet the reassessment benchmark. The presenter said total third‑grade enrollment cited in the packet is 452 students.
Staff said summer programs and additional grant‑funded tutoring (for example, the Varsity Tutors pilot used at middle schools this year) are funding‑dependent; the district will use available grants and ESSER funds where eligible to expand offerings.
Ending: Staff will report a final summer program recap and retention counts in July after summer reassessment results and any parent appeals are processed.
