The goal of the Read to Achieve program is to ensure that every student reads at grade level by the end of third grade. 

What steps are being taken to ensure your child reads at grade level by the end of 3rd grade?
Your child’s teacher teaches reading throughout the year. The school will share information about your child’s progress in reading through report cards, interim reports, conferences, emails and in the mCLASS Home Connect Report. The mCLASS Home Connect Report gives suggestions about activities that you can do at home to help. Read your child’s Student Summary Handout carefully and talk with your child’s teacher about his or her progress.

What if my child is struggling to read?
Your child’s school will provide additional support if your child has difficulties with his or her reading. You are encouraged to attend parent conferences with your child’s teacher to work together to help your child read at grade level by the end of the year. Your child’s teacher can provide strategies that you can use at home to help your child read better, including information about accessing and navigating the mCLASS Home Connect Report.

How will it be determined that your child is reading at grade level?
Kindergarten, first- and second-grade students will be assessed using mCLASS, Letterland assessments and class performance to ensure they are developing foundational reading skills.
 
Third-grade students will be assessed using the Beginning-of-Grade (BOG) Test, mCLASS, class performance, the NC End-of-Grade (EOG) Reading, and possibly the Read to Achieve (RtA) Test to ensure they are meeting grade level proficiency standards. 

How will Read to Achieve affect my child?
Second-grade students will be invited to attend Reading Camp based on mCLASS Middle-of-Year (MOY) assessments. 

After Middle-of-Year (MOY) assessments, any third-grade student who has not yet met a Good Cause Exemption (GCE) will be invited to attend Reading Camp.  Good Cause Exemptions (GCEs) can be met in the following ways:

• Students who demonstrate reading proficiency appropriate for third grade students on assessments approved by the State Board of Education
  • BOG3 (Beginning of Grade 3) proficiency
  • mCLASS Dibels 8 proficiency (Beginning of Year, Middle of Year, End of Year, or during Summer Learning)
  • End of Grade Reading test proficiency
  • Students who demonstrate proficiency on Read to Achieve Test 
• Limited English Proficient students with less than two school years of instruction in the ESL Program
• Students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Program indicates (i) the use of the NCEXTEND 1 alternate assessment, (ii) at least a two school year delay in educational performance, or (iii) receipt of intensive reading interventions for at least two school years
• Students who have (i) received reading intervention and (ii) previously been retained more than once in kindergarten, first, second, or third grades 

When your third-grade child has met a Good Cause Exemption (GCE), you will receive a letter from the school indicating how it was met.  Any student that has met a GCE by mid-year will not be invited to Reading Camp.

What does Reading Camp look like?
If your child qualifies for Reading Camp, you will receive a letter from their school. It is the decision of the parent or guardian to accept or decline the invitation.

Reading Camp provides individualized reading instruction based on student’s word reading development through whole and small group intensive instruction. Our curriculum addresses all 5 components of Reading - phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension - through Reading and Science lessons and activities.

The Reading Camp is held during track-out periods for year-round schools (both Single and Multi Tracks) and during the summer for schools for Traditional and Modified calendars. Camp is typically 12 days; meals are provided (based on the student’s current meal status) and transportation is provided, if needed.  

Students are assessed at the end of Reading Camp to determine if they have now met a Good Cause Exemption (GCE).

What if my 3rd Grade child does not meet a Good Cause Exemption (GCE)?
Any student that has not met a Good Cause Exemption (GCE) by the end of 3rd Grade or after Reading Camp (if attended), may be promoted to the fourth-grade with a reading retention designation. Your school will notify you if your child meets one of these exemptions, along with promotion/retention decisions. 

Any student promoted to fourth-grade with a reading retention designation means they will receive guaranteed reading interventions and will be monitored closely.

Whom to Contact for More Information
Contact your school’s Instructional Facilitator, Read to Achieve Planning Contact, and/or the school Administrators for more information, resources and guidance.

Read to Achieve Resources

• North Carolina Read to Achieve Parent Guide