Reading Sufficiency Act Focused on Students Reading by Grade 3

What is Oklahoma’s Reading Sufficiency Act (RSA)?

How do students get promoted? In the spring, your third grade son/daughter will be taking an achievement test mandated by the state of Oklahoma. This test is called the OCCT. To be promoted your child must score limited knowledge or higher on the OCCT Reading Section.

How Do I Know If My Child Is At Risk Of Being Retained? Students are annually given assessments at the Beginning of the Year, Middle of the Year and End of the Year to determine if the student has a reading deficiency. If the student demonstrates a reading deficiency, a plan is developed to improve the reading achievement of the student. If your child has had one of these plans* or if you have been told that your child is not reading on grade level, your child may be at risk of retention. * (These plans have changed names throughout the years – Reading Sufficiency Plan, Program of Reading Instruction, and the current name is the Academic Progress Plan.)

CAN I APPEAL TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR MY CHILD TO BE PROMOTED? According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, a parent CANNOT appeal the decision of retention for a third grade student who does not score Limited Knowledge or higher on the OCCT.

If My Child Is Retained – What Then? The school will work with parents to effectively plan the best strategy to increase the retained student’s reading success. The school will continue remediation based on this academic progress plan.

Are There Exemptions to the RSA Law? Yes – There are six “Good Cause” exemptions for some students who score Unsatisfactory on the reading test. Exemption 1 Students identified ELL prior to taking the OCCT by the ACCESS test and have had less than 2 years in an ELL program may be promoted.

Exemption 2 Students with an IEP prior to state assessment that directs the student will be assessed with the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program(OAAP) may be promoted. Exemption 3 Students with a score in the 45th percentile on the reading comprehension portion of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills test will qualify.

Exemption 4 Students who demonstrate mastery of the state standards through state approved portfolios may be promoted. Exemption 5 Students on an IEP with two years of intensive reading remediation, with a reading deficiency indicated in the IEP, and retained for one year may be promoted.

Exemption 6 Regular education students who have been retained twice and have had two years of reading remediation may be promoted.

How Can I Help My Child Read at Home? For resources in helping your child read by 3rd grade visit our new parent resource website. http://parents.tulsaschools.org/