D.C. Bill Would Assess 3rd-Graders' Readiness to Advance at 'Turning Point'

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Byline: Tom Howell Jr., THE WASHINGTON TIMES

A D.C. Council committee is vetting a bill Thursday that ensures third-graders are ready for fourth grade, a reflection of efforts across the country to gauge academic progress in the early years of children's education.

Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown will hear testimony on the legislation as part of a hearing before the Committee of the Whole on reforms such as early childhood education and college preparation.

Council members Vincent B. Orange, at-large Democrat, and Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat, introduced the bill in November. The legislation proposes to assess the progress of students on the cusp of fourth …