OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for school districts to promote third graders who may not be reading at grade level.
Fallin vetoed the bill on Tuesday, saying that allowing students who can't read to advance to the fourth grade is "setting that child up for failure."
The House and Senate voted overwhelmingly for the changes to the Reading Sufficiency Act, which was part of a Republican-led agenda to increase the rigor in Oklahoma schools and prevent students from advancing to the fourth grade if they didn't score satisfactorily on a state reading test.
Nearly 16 percent of Oklahoma's third graders scored "unsatisfactory" on state reading tests and could be held back next year.