Read to Achieve

Read to Achieve graphic

"Third-grade students receive extra attention in North Carolina because of the state’s Read to Achieve legislative initiative, a part of the Excellent Public Schools Act," reads the North Carolina Department of Public Education website "Under this state law, third-grade students who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade will receive special help, including summer reading camp and other interventions to make sure that they can read well enough to be able to do fourth-grade work."

Each local board of education shall publish annually on a Web site maintained by that local school administrative unit and report in writing to the State Board of Education by September 1 of each year the following information on the prior school year:

  1. The number and percentage of third grade students demonstrating and not demonstrating reading proficiency on the State-approved standardized test of reading comprehension administered to third grade students.

  2. The number and percentage of third grade students who take and pass an alternative assessment of reading comprehension and the name of each alternative assessment used for this purpose with the number of students who passed it.

  3. The number and percentage of third grade students retained for not demonstrating reading proficiency.

  4. The number and percentage of third grade students exempt from mandatory third grade retention by category of exemption as listed in G.S. 115C-83.7(b).

  5. The number and percentage of first grade students demonstrating and not demonstrating reading comprehension at grade level.

  6. The number and percentage of second grade students demonstrating and not demonstrating reading comprehension at grade level.

  7. For each grade level, the number and percentage of students eligible for priority enrollment in reading camp under G.S. 115C-83.11(b) and, for each grade level, the number and percentage of those students who attend reading camp.