By contrast, the National Children's Reading Foundation believes that it is essential to assure that virtually all children read at or above grade level by third grade, a goal which cannot be achieved with a norm-referenced definition of grade level.
In contrast to the view that a norm-referenced definition of grade level suffices for assessing reading proficiency in third grade, the National Children's Reading Foundation emphasizes the importance of ensuring that all children reach or exceed their grade level reading expectations by third grade.