This year, Arizona became one of 14 states that have instituted laws to hold back third-grade students who haven’t learned to read. Proponents of the policy argue that teachers of the higher grades don’t know how to teach reading; this might be the only way to ensure that children receive the remedial help they need. Its critics argue that children who fail a grade are more likely to drop out of school later, that there’s no proof that repeating a grade helps students learn better, and that low-income students will be disproportionately affected. Moreover, reading tutors, specialists, and other interventions require huge per-pupil expenditures that the state simply can’t afford. Will repeating third grade make better readers? How is this policy impacting schools and teachers, children and their parents? Arizona State University literacy education scholar Frank Serafini, City of Phoenix youth and education manager Tim Valencia, and Griffith Elementary School instructional coach Daniela Robles visit Zócalo to discuss whether failing third graders will put them on the path to success—or if it’s a potentially dangerous stumbling block for young learners.

 

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