behind me is the city of garma. the iraqi army and its allies have been advancing forward and pushing isis back until they're now within about three miles from the city, once they take garma they believe they can push on to fallujah. >> reporter: this iraqi army colonel explains that they need to take garma because it's a main supply route for isis. isis fighters are like gangsters he says. >> ( translated ): we are trying to surround garma because garma is the access point, if we take garma and god willing we will take it, then isis will be locked in, finished. >> reporter: after that he says is fallujah, a city won and lost twice since 2003. soldiers here are expecting this battle to be even tougher than the others. jane arraf for pbs newshour near garma, iraq >> ifill: a growing number of states are promising to stop promoting students who haven't learned to read by the end of third grade. it's a controversial idea we first reported on two years ago. tonight, special correspondent john tulenko of learning matters