Third graders in Tennessee's public schools only saw slight improvement in English language arts scores on this year's standardized state test, with 41% reaching proficiency, up from 40% last year.

Third graders in Tennessee's public schools only saw slight improvement in English language arts scores on this year's standardized state test, with 41% reaching proficiency, up from 40% last year.

Columbus City Schools was one of those districts. NBC4 Investigates requested third grade reading test results over five years and found a significant drop in scores during the pandemic.

Learn more: Only 1.2% of Tennessee third graders held back after reading law rollout However, more than 12,000 opted into yearlong tutoring in fourth grade. Those students must now show adequate ...