BALTIMORE — Maryland's reading proficiency has seen a decline since 2013.
The state has dropped from 3rd all the way to 41st in national rankings of 4th graders' ability to read.
Maryland's Board of Education passed a policy changing how schools will treat students who don't meet reading standards.
"I think the critical piece for us is we want to make sure we're intervening early and catching kids as early as we possibly can. There's a whole lot of research around the fact that if you catch them early and give them the right intervention that they become very good readers," said Carey M. Wright, Maryland Superintendent of Schools.
Under the new plan, the default is students will not move on to the fourth grade if they're not reading at a high enough level.
Parents will have to insist their child gets a boost to the next grade and agree to enroll them in a free reading program.
If parents don't respond, the child will stay in the third grade.
"I really think that's going to be less than a handful of parents cause most parents are already on there in terms of knowing what their children are doing and knowing whether they're struggling or whether they're successful. So, for us, it's making sure parents are involved in this decision," said Wright.
Jamie Caldwell has two young children and says the thought of school is already front of mind.
"It's constant, you don't really turn it off, you think about your kids and what's best for them constantly, there's not a break," said Caldwell.
Caldwell wants parents to continue to have the right to make the decision for their children.
"I think in some ways it makes sense that the school has the child's best interest at heart, and because they see their progress so intimately, it makes sense, but parents should always have a right and a say in what happens in their children," said Caldwell.
Maryland's new plan is also more aggressive in creating plans for students who are struggling in lower grades.
It also provides more training to teachers to become better educators.
The plan will phase in with full implementation expected in the 2027-2028 school year.
Maryland's reading proficiency has seen a decline since 2013. The state has dropped from 3rd all the way to 41st in national rankings of 4th graders' ability to read. Maryland's Board of Education passed a policy changing how schools will treat students who don't meet reading standards.
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