Beginning in the 2002-03 school year, the revised Florida School Code required 3rd grade students to demonstrate reading proficiency by scoring at level 2 or higher on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). If not, the student must be retained, unless exempted from mandatory retention for special circumstances referred to as "good cause." These new requirements have had considerable impact on the retention rates in M-DCPS. This paper presents a brief look at the 3rd grade retention rates for 2003-04, comparing previous years' rates and subgroups' rates disaggregated by ethnicity, free/reduced lunch status, and English proficiency levels.