INDIANAPOLIS -- State School Superintendent Tony Bennett said he's confident he will have Indiana's students reading better by the fourth grade, but some teachers are concerned budget cuts could hurt the plan.

Gov. Mitch Daniels originally wanted a bill that would require children be held back in third grade if they didn't meet reading standards.

But the compromise that was passed last week only recommends "retention as a last resort" after remediation has been used and reading skills are still below standard, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

Bennett is now charged with drawing up a program to raise reading levels.

"We have an opportunity through the rule-making process to deliver a comprehensive reading program that moves us into an era where third-graders do possess the necessary reading skills to read at third-grade level and to move to fourth grade with those skills,” Bennett said Thursday.

He said the plan includes making sure teachers come out of college trained in scientific-based reading techniques and focusing the state's remediation dollars on substandard readers.

Representatives with the Indiana State Teachers' Association said they like Bennett's plan, but are concerned there isn't enough money to make it possible.

"I think with the cut in education funding that we've had, and the reading coaches and reading teachers that are being laid off, along with thousands of others across the state, I think it will be very, very difficult to reach those youngest learners in ways that we have," said ISTA Vice President Teresa Meredith.

Bennett said Hoosiers should not focus on the retention aspect.

Currently, one out of four Indiana students flunk the language portion of the ISTEP test. There are no national statistics comparing Indiana third-graders to those in other states.