Batavia Elementary School administrators and teachers are working to develop additional reading diagnostic tools this year as part of the new Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

The Third Grade Reading Guarantee, which is part of Ohio Senate Bill 316, requires students who enter third grade in 2013-2014 or after to score at a certain level on Ohio’s third-grade reading achievement assessment to advance to fourth grade.

Batavia Elementary School Principal Renee Munro, presented information and plans for implementing the new requirements this year to board members at their Aug. 20 meeting.

“This came into play a few weeks ago,” Munro said about the bill that passed in June. “It basically states that any student who does not pass third grade will be retained.”

Munro explained that the new requirements will be in addition to other standards students have to meet and testing that has to be done.

She said they will begin testing this year but will not retain students until next year.

Munro said this year, they are required to begin working on implementing the Third Grade Reading Guarantee at the elementary school.

“This year we have to develop a diagnostic,” Munro said.

Munro said by September, each district must be ready to administer the diagnostic assessment to kindergarten through third grade students to determine whether they are at or below their reading level.

“If we find a student is not on track, we have to send letters to parents,” Munro said.

Munro said the district is ahead of the game when it comes to helping students who do not read at the appropriate level. She said they will be using several reading intervention strategies including Project More, Corrective Reading, My Sidewalks and more to help students get back on track.

She said the challenging part about the new state requirements will be giving the diagnostic assessment to all kindergarten through third grade students.

“Doing a diagnostic for every kid K-3 is daunting,” Munro said. “We will be putting all available staff on this to help.

Superintendent Jill Grubb said this year districts are able to use the tools they have available to create and administer their own diagnostic. She said after this year the state will likely have a list of what can be used. Each district must report to the Ohio Department of Education annually on its implementation and compliance with the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Districts must also submit to ODE results of their kindergarten through third grade diagnostic assessments.

For more information visit www.ode.state.oh.us.