Please contact members of the Senate Education Committee and House Common Education Committee this weekend and ask them to VOTE YES on the following RSA bills:

• This bill makes permanent the RSA Student Reading Proficiency Teams by removing the current sunset on the teams. 

• This measure extends the sunset on Student Reading Proficiency Teams by five additional years and also includes a one-year delay of the inclusion of students who score "limited knowledge" on the 3rd grade reading assessment from being subject to evaluation by the Student Reading Proficiency Teams in order to be promoted to 4th grade.

• Both bills are on an education committee agenda for Monday.
• Please call and/or email to express your support for these measures!

1. Requires a classroom teacher to assign a grade that reflects mastery of the assignment;
2. Shall NOT require a classroom teacher to assign a minimum grade for an assignment without regard to the quality of work; and
3. May allow a reasonable opportunity for makeup work.

• Mandating specific provisions of a school grading policy at the state level reduces local control at the district level. The state legislature should leave decisions regarding grading and assignments to the local education experts at each school district, as they are best suited to determine the needs of their individual students and what grading policies and procedures will work best for them to ensure student success.
• Many districts are already utilizing policies and programs such as ZAP (Zeros Aren't Permitted), which are designed to promote assignment completion and remediation for struggling students.
  • There are many reasons why students fail to complete assignments and course work, and requiring teachers be allowed to give zeros may not be in the best interest of a particular student and his or her academic progress. It is punitive at worst and may actually give students an escape from accountability in some instances. Read more about the role of "zero" in grading HERE.
• If the goal of grading is to inform instructional decisions, document student progress, and provide feedback to students, parents, and teachers about what each student has learned -- these decisions should be left to the local level where the stakeholders involved have a better understanding of these needs.

Senate