Law Seeks to Have All Students Literate by Third Grade

A new law seeks to aid students' success in Massachusetts by making sure a critical benchmark is met by third grade. 

Gov. Deval Patrick on Wednesday passed "An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency," which will help ensure that all children in the state can read by third grade, a success that is strongly correlated with high school graduation and college attendance. 

"Three-quarters of children who struggle with reading in third grade will continue to struggle academically," a press release from the governor's office states. 

The bill establishes a nine-member literacy panel that will align and coordinate literacy initiatives, including curricula, instructional practices, professional development for teachers and more. They will also work to identify federal grant opportunities and private funding.