The Read to Succeed Act is a strong initiative that focuses on mastery of reading skills before students advance to fourth grade. The Act requires each district to develop a comprehensive annual reading proficiency plan for Pre-K to 12th-grade students, establishes student reading intervention programs as early as Kindergarten, and mandates all initially licensed K-12 teachers to complete additional training to receive a Read to Succeed endorsement.
Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, third-grade students who are not reading on grade level may be retained. Retention can provide students with severe reading difficulties the additional time they need to gain the necessary reading skills to be successful in fourth grade and beyond.