Oklahoma will soon make its statewide reading test more difficult, and the change could result in more students being forced to repeat the third grade.
As Oklahoma Watch reports, the important, high-stakes test is already difficult for some. Last year, 12 percent of Oklahoma third graders received a grade of “unsatisfactory.”
Each year, students who have scored poorly on the test have been found to be disproportionately black, Hispanic, and from low-income households. Beginning next year, students will need to receive a score of “proficient” to advance to the fourth grade. The “proficient” level is one level above what was required for promotion last year.
In 2016, more than one in four third-graders fell short of the “proficient” mark on the test. Oklahoma Education Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said the change means families will need to focus more on reading to their children at a young age.