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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico House of Representatives has voted to approve legislation that would end the social promotion of third-graders who are not proficient readers.
After three hours of debate Wednesday night, the bill passed 38-30 with one Democrat siding with Republicans in the majority. The legislation now moves to the Senate.
The measure by Republican Rep. Monica Youngblood, of Albuquerque, calls for retaining third-graders who are not reading proficiently and giving them intensive remediation.
"Today, we took a huge step in the right direction to improve our schools," Youngblood said after the vote.
During debate, Democrats repeatedly referred to the bill as flunking third graders.
The legislation is backed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. Her plan to end social promotion faces opposition from Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, who says student retention should be based on teachers' assessments, not test scores.
Opponents also say retaining students damages them psychologically and intervention can be done without retention.
Youngblood said third-graders who aren't proficient in reading are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Democrats countered with other studies they said show flunking students makes them more prone to dropping out.
Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Santa Fe, said the bill would unfairly punish some students.
"I do know it would be a disaster for those third-grade students who are retained who did not need to be retained," he said.
Democratic efforts to introduce amendments, and a substitute bill that called for more parental involvement and intervention as early as kindergarten failed.
More than a dozen speakers testified against the bill at a House committee hearing last week, saying retention damages a child socially and intervention should be the focus.
Those in favor said the legislation is a last-resort bill that will help students succeed.
Youngblood's bill calls for intervention and remediation programs to kick in with the 2015-16 school year, and grade promotion and retention decisions to be made starting in 2016-17.
Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., require the retention of third-grade students who do not meet grade-level expectations in reading, according to the Education Commission of the States, a nonpartisan group that tracks state policy trends.
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