Governor Jim Justice approve House Bill 3035 establishing the Third Grade Success Act. “We want to ensure that all of you, every single last one of you, gets off in school to a great start, and you’re able to master certain skills that will absolutely take you off in a really, really good way,” Gov. Justice said. This legislation requires schools to implement a multi-tiered system of support for early literacy and numeracy in kindergarten through grade three. This legislation requires each county board to adopt high-quality instructional materials and in-service training for early childhood classroom assistant teachers, aides, classroom teachers, and in certain instances, interventionists in grades kindergarten through three. This legislation also requires data to be used to inform the classroom teacher’s recommendation on grade level retention. Effective for the school year beginning July 1, 2026, and thereafter, a public school student who generally demonstrates a minimal understanding of, and ability to apply, grade level English language arts or mathematics knowledge, skills, and abilities, or both, as indicated on the West Virginia General Summative Assessment relative to the West Virginia College and Career Readiness Standards at the end of third grade, shall upon the recommendation of the teacher and the student assistance team, be retained in the third grade for the ensuing school year subject to certain exceptions.
Explore