SPARTA, Tenn. (WTVF) — Instead of summer camp, thousands of third-graders are going to summer school.
A new state requirement is forcing a lot of kids back into the classroom if they failed the TCAP reading test. Tennessee's third grade retention law requires that third-graders "meet" or "exceed" set expectations to get promoted to fourth grade.
Competition dancer Eva Claytor knows performance matters. In all aspects of her life, the nine-year-old works hard. She is an honor roll student and a decorated dancer. But she did not pass the TCAP reading exam and now may have to go to summer school.
"She really felt like she had done well," said Pamela Claytor, her mother. "I had explained leading up to it the importance of it, what she was getting into, and what could happen if the test didn't go well."
The Claytor family is filing an appeal. Her parents believe her high grades throughout the year and previous scores on other state benchmark tests should matter.
"For me, I just felt like... 'man, I've got an honor roll student who worked so hard all year, who worked so hard while going to dance almost every day of the week... and yet one test determined all that hard work amounted to nothing,'" Pamela Claytor said.
Eva Claytor doesn't think the mandate makes sense either.
"I don't think it's right for me to not pass because I was really close," she said.
The Claytors have Eva signed up for summer dance camp. If their appeal is accepted, Eva will be able to go. If not, she will be going to summer school. Dance camp starts the same day that summer school starts in White County.
"She's being penalized and her whole summer is just out the window... Her dance school has been so accommodating because they've said we know she's not going to be the only one," Pamela Claytor said.
