North Little Rock schools bring in outside help to boost reading skills

The North Little Rock School Board recently made a big decision about third-grade reading. They agreed to spend nearly $200, 000 on tutoring from a Mississippi company called Kids First Education LLC. The goal is to help struggling readers avoid being held back a grade. This move comes after state tests showed many local third graders aren’t meeting reading benchmarks. The tutoring sessions will last for one month, starting in late April. They’re scheduled right after students finish their official state tests but before any retakes. Only kids who scored below grade level and don’t have special exemptions qualify for this extra help. The state’s new education law, passed in 2023, puts these students at risk of repeating third grade if they don’t improve.Here’s the tricky part: after the tutoring ends, students can try retaking the test. But there’s a catch—only kids who went through intensive tutoring after their first test can retake it. The retest window runs from late May to the end of June. If they pass, they move on to fourth grade. If not, they might have to repeat third grade. This isn’t just about passing tests—it’s about how schools are judged too. The first test score still counts when the state rates school performance, even if a student later passes a retest. That means schools feel extra pressure to make sure kids get help fast.