Concern over a new requirement that third graders read at grade-level to move on to fourth grade has created a "sense of urgency" in at least one north Arkansas elementary school, faculty said.

That urgency, bolstered by grant funds provided through the LEARNS Act, as well as follow-ups with families eligible to receive that money and efforts to recruit additional tutors, resulted in a massive increase in the number of students not yet in fourth grade who have sought and received tutoring at Southside Elementary School in Independence County, said Kim Stalker, an instructional facilitator at the campus. Between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year, participation by qualified students shot up by roughly 85%, according to Stalker.

"I'm not going to say it hasn't sent a sense of urgency thro

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