The Haywood County School Board approved the following resolution at their April meeting.

Read to Achieve Resolution

Whereas, the Haywood County Schools’ Board of Education supports all third grade students being proficient in
reading; and

Whereas, the Board supports the optional use of the portfolio as a formative assessment measure and a good
cause exemption; and

Whereas, the Board supports The Comprehensive Reading Plan; and

Whereas, the Board is concerned however, that the current Read to Achieve legislation contains no component
which allows consideration of a child’s individual growth in reading to be considered in whether or not to retain
a child; and

Whereas the Board is concerned at the increased burden on teachers, students and families during the third
grade year necessitated by the Read to Achieve legislation placing all its testing focus on this grade as third grade
is already the first year children take the EOG tests;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Haywood County Schools’ Board of Education

That the Board of Education declares concern about the under-funded mandate of the summer reading camp.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the components of the Read to Achieve legislation should be applied earlier in a student’s
reading development, and the requirements stretched over a longer period.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Read to Achieve legislation does not take into consideration the developmental needs of
individual students and places no emphasis on the amount an individual child grew in reading during the year.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that Read to Achieve takes away the autonomy of the teacher to differentiate instruction to meet
the individualized needs of their students, particularly with regard to retention.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Education requests a stay on Summer Reading Camp and continues with local
policy and procedure for retention and promotion until the above issues can be addressed.