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Monday, November 9, 2026Nov 9

Nearly a fourth of Hamilton County third graders require reading help under retention law

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Molly O'Donnell, 10, writes on a worksheet at Battle Academy on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Molly O'Donnell, 10, writes on a worksheet at Battle Academy on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Molly O'Donnell, 10, writes on a worksheet at Battle Academy on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Hamilton County fared better than some other public schools in Tennessee in preparing third graders to proceed to fourth grade under the requirements of a new state law that emphasizes reading proficiency.

In Hamilton County, 77% of third graders are eligible to move up to fourth grade without the need for additional educational intervention following the release of testing data from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, according to a news release Monday from Hamilton County Schools.

Of the 3,488 third grade students in the district, 2,681 are eligible for grade level promotion either because of their literacy proficiency or for another reason, such as qualifying for an exemption because of a disability or because they are learning English as an additional language.

Out of the students who are eligible to move on to fourth grade, 40% are eligible based on their reading scores on the TCAP.

(READ MORE: Hamilton County teacher’s petition against third grade retention law gains traction)