Under the new system,
grades one through three are measured against a goal
of reading
by the
end of third grade;
grades four through six on proficient or advanced performance on the English and math portions
of a state
test indicating middle school readiness; seven, eight, and nine on high school readiness with passing all ninth -
grade;
grades 10, 11, and 12 focus on the goal
of high school graduation.
While not required
by the law, many school districts were reluctant to hinge the possibility
of a
third grader moving on to the fourth
grade on his or her performance on a single
test, especially considering that North Carolina just adopted more rigorous standards and more difficult assessments based on those standards — meaning that even more students are likely to fail
End of Grade tests than in years past.