House Bill 707 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3115(a)(2)(A), by adding a new provision that allows for a conference to determine the promotion of third-grade students who have achieved a performance level rating of "approaching" on the ELA portion of their most recent TCAP test. The conference, which must include the student's parent or guardian, ELA teacher, and school principal, will decide whether the student should be promoted to fourth grade or retained in third grade, provided the student has earned an overall letter grade of A or B in their third-grade ELA class and their parent or guardian has opted out of a learning loss bridge camp. The decision will be based on the majority recommendation of the conference participants, and students cannot be retained in third grade more than once.

Additionally, if a student is promoted to fourth grade under this new provision, they will be required to receive tutoring services throughout their fourth-grade year, as determined by the department's established tutoring requirements. This bill aims to provide a structured approach to student promotion while ensuring that students who may be at risk of retention receive the necessary support to succeed in their educational journey. The act will take effect upon becoming law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-3115(a)(2)(A), 49-6-3115