More Indiana third graders were held back this year than ever before after failing the IREAD literacy test. A law passed last year makes retaining students mandatory if they don’t qualify for a good cause exemption, such as a learning disability.
One hundred and four third graders failed the test in the Monroe County Community School Corp. Most of them qualified for exemptions.
It is the district’s highest passing rate since the pandemic, but because of the retention law passed last year, a record 19 students have been retained and five didn’t re-enroll in the district.
MCCSC didn’t respond to a request for comment but said earlier the students held back represent less than one percent of third graders.
Statewide more than 3,000 students were held back, compared to around 450 last year.
