In March, all CPS students in second and third grades will be tested for reading proficiency. Students not reading to grade level must attend summer remediation classes June 12 through July 14. Transportation will be provided for students who live more than a mile from their neighborhood school. Those who don't meet minimum scores on off-grade proficiency tests will be held back and spend all day in intensive literacy classes. They'll be re-tested each October and March and will advance to fourth grade only after they pass the test and meet other promotion requirements.
Most schools also offer extra reading time and tutors to students struggling with reading.
Still, two thirds of CPS students who took the Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Test last March flunked the reading portion. Some worry the proposal will simply create a new class of students who are overage for their grade, and overage students are more likely to drop out. The Cincinnati Enquirer , a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper.