The Ups and Downs of 3rd Grade.

The article addresses the anxieties felt by many third graders in U.S. education. It focuses on increased academic demands in the third grade, emphasizing anxiety caused by end-of-grade (EOG) exams. Other aspects of third grade curricula are addressed including independent reading, core content learning, formalized writing assignments, and standardized testing. The authors present examples of how educational collaboration can help students succeed in the third grade, focusing on the use of teacher teams at Hilburn Drive Elementary School and other schools in the Wake County Public Schools district in North Carolina. Other topics include school outreach, tutoring programs, and student instruction on test-taking.