By KRWG News
New Mexico – A House committee has approved a bill backed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to stop promoting public school students who lack basic reading skills at the end of the third grade.
The Education Committee endorsed the measure on a 10-1 vote on Saturday, sending it to the House for consideration.
The measure will stop third-graders from moving to the fourth grade if they aren't proficient in reading starting in the 2012-13 school year. Schools are required to provide students with programs to improve their performance.
Currently, a parent can overrule a school that wants to retain a student rather than promoting them to the next grade. The legislation will eliminate that parental veto when students reach the third grade ending a practice known as "social promotion."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.