Memphis-Shelby County Schools identifies student achievement as its highest priority. In an effort to ensure students have the necessary reading skills to be successful, MSCS introduced the 3rd Grade Commitment. 

Third grade has been identified as the year that students are no longer “learning to read” but they begin “reading to learn.” If students are not reading at grade level by the time they reach the third grade, half of the curriculum they will be taught for the remainder of their school years will be incomprehensible. The 3rd Grade Commitment is a collaborative effort between schools, parents, and the community towards ensuring we all work together to best help SCS students reach reading readiness before third grade.