A Research Report from EPIC

Michigan’s Read by Grade Three Law: Year One Report

March 2021

This is the first of five anticipated reports that EPIC will produce as part of a four-year evaluation of Michigan’s Read by Grade Three Law. In 2016, the Michigan legislature passed the Read by Grade Three Law in response to growing concerns about literacy rates among Michigan students. The Read by Grade Three Law aims to improve early literacy outcomes for students across the state through improved instruction, implementation of early monitoring and identification systems, required interventions for students identified as having a “reading deficiency” under the Law, and a requirement that students who do not meet a state standard for reading proficiency by the end of the third grade will be retained.

The purpose of this first interim report is to provide an overview of how the Law was formed and intended to work, its early implementation through spring 2020, and its early effects on relevant outcomes for Michigan students and educators. We employ a mixed-methods design that draws on multiple sources of data, including: administrative records of students and teachers; surveys of K-8 teachers, K-8 principals, district superintendents, and ISD Early Literacy Coaches; and interviews with state-level policymakers, Michigan Department of Education (MDE) personnel, and community stakeholders. This approach allows us to examine the development, implementation, and early impacts of the Law from multiple perspectives and contexts.

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

• Third-grade achievement has improved significantly each year since the Read by Grade Three Law was implemented, with students in traditionally underserved districts experiencing the greatest gains.
• Educators attributed these gains to literacy supports identified in the Law.
• Teachers who received one-on-one literacy coaching generally felt that their instruction improved as a result.
• Many administrators struggled to provide sufficient access to literacy coaches and other literacy resources.
• Educators reported implementing many of the Law’s required interventions in their classrooms and found them to be useful and effective in improving student literacy.
• Many educators were concerned that the retention requirement would have adverse effects on students, and perceptions of the Law as a whole were generally negative.