Update Header

Greetings!

Third grade is a pivotal year in your child’s educational experience, especially where literacy is concerned.. Third grade literacy is a culmination of the foundational reading skills acquired in grades K-2. By the end of the third grade, your child will be applying the foundational reading skills to standards-based tasks, such as, determining the main idea of the text and explaining how the details support the main idea.

State law requires that your child scores above “Approaching” on the third-grade ELA TCAP to be promoted to

4th grade without additional supports. For additional information on these supports, also known as promotion pathways, please see the TN Pathways to Promotion Infographic by going here: https://bit.ly/TNP2PInfographic.

To assist you in monitoring your child’s progress throughout the year, you will receive detailed information in the following reports:

1. STAR Reading (fall, winter, and spring) - STAR assesses comprehension and provides a reading level.

2. aimswebPLUS Universal Screener (fall, winter, and spring) –aimwebPlus assesses reading skills. Your child will also receive a Home Literacy Report if they score below the 25th percentile.

3. Mastery Predictive Assessments (MPA) – MPA is a standards-based benchmark predictive of TCAP proficiency levels.

4. Quarterly Target-Based Report Cards - Report cards communicate classroom performance of specific ELA targets through proficiency levels. More information on Target-Based Grading can be found here: https://bit.ly/TBGReporting

You can find more information about GMSD’s Comprehensive Assessment Program by going to: https://bit.ly/GMSDAssessments2025-26

In addition to monitoring your child’s progress, it is important for your child to practice reading at home with you. Daily home reading will reinforce your child’s interest in reading. You can access decodables to read at the following website: https://bit.ly/TDOEDecodables

Your child will take the statewide assessments called the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP, in ELA, math and science at the end of the year. These assessments are important measures of your child’s level of proficiency in the subject-area standards. To empower your child’s personal potential, GMSD offers numerous resources, such as tiered intervention provided during the school day and the high-impact tutoring program for qualifying students, that will support student growth and progress throughout the school year as we prepare to participate in these statewide assessments.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please reach out to your child’s teacher or principal. If you have questions about the 3rd grade retention law, please reach out via Let’s Talk on the gmsdk12.org website or visit GMSD’s Promotion and Retention Law website: https://bit.ly/3GPL .

Sincerely,

GMSD Administration