NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A temporary fix may be coming for families impacted by the third grade and fourth grade retention laws.
Under the current law, fourth graders who don't score well enough on the Language Arts portion of the TCAP test -- would be at risk of having to repeat the fourth grade with no other alternatives.
Tennessee lawmakers agree a change needs to be made but can't agree on some of the details. Both the House and Senate versions have provisions for parents, teachers and principals to hold a conference to determine next steps for the child.
"A conference will be convened with a student’s parents, teacher and principal to decide if a student will be promoted," said Republican Sen. Jon Lundberg from Bristol.
If the parent, teacher and principal all agree that the student should pass onto the fifth grade, the student can do so as long as they agree to 180 days of tutoring during their 5th grade year.
But a sticking point between the House and Senate is how long this law will last. The Senate wants the fix to only last two years. "This option will only apply to the current and next school year," Lundberg said during debate.
The House version does not have a sunset provision. It also has different options for students that continue on to fifth grade.
If the chambers can't agree, the bill could go to a conference committee where representatives from each body hash out a resolution they think both chambers can embrace.
A previous version of this story incorrectly declared that the bill was resolved. We regret the error.
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