ForumGarden

Here in New England, school officials have indicated that they plan on "Retaining" 800 students ranging from Kindergarden to 5th grade. Due to those students receiving poor scoring grades from the previous year. To their suprise, when they start school next month, these students will be repeating the same grade as last year. As the superitendent of schools said that "pushing" these children forward when they haven't had the basic foundation would be an injustice.

Seems like school officials are finally getting tougher again!

So what are your thoughts on the Superitendent's stand ?

cars wrote: Here in New England, school officials have indicated that they plan on "Retaining" 800 students raging from Kindergarden to 5th grade. Due to those students receiving poor scoring grades from the previous year. To their suprise, when they start school next month, these students will be repeating the same grade as last year. As the superitendent of schools said that "pushing" these children forward when they haven't had the basic foundation would be an injustice.

Seems like school officials are finally getting tougher again!



So what are you thoughts on the Superitendent's stand ?




I dont really see what this has to do with my ailment but I think tough in school is good. Crack that whip !

I hope he properly notified the parents, because they can fight a student being retained, I bet there are some lawsuits ahead..................

I am for retaining a child, if that is in the child's best interest. It sometimes happens. But a wide sweeping statement like that, there must be more behind it then that.

Maybe they should look at their education setup and teach them right the first time. :-5

Probably scored poorly on a standardized test.

That's not enough to retain them, the grades have to reflect the same low scores. And the failing grades have to be there throughout the year, in at least 3 subject areas. That is the standards in my district/state.

cars wrote: Here in New England, school officials have indicated that they plan on "Retaining" 800 students raging from Kindergarden to 5th grade. Due to those students receiving poor scoring grades from the previous year. To their suprise, when they start school next month, these students will be repeating the same grade as last year. As the superitendent of schools said that "pushing" these children forward when they haven't had the basic foundation would be an injustice.

Seems like school officials are finally getting tougher again!

So what are your thoughts on the Superitendent's stand ? thinking:


Sounds OK if appropriate - what is the school population as a whole for those

years? I don't know how old "kindergarten" or "5th. garde" pupils are.

Why were these kids about to be pushed through to the next grade if their grades showed they should not?:-5 No wonder we have so many adults who can't read or spell! Since they waited so late to decide to do what's right, I hope the parents and children were properly notified and they don't wait until the first day of school to spring it on them.

Peg wrote: Why were these kids about to be pushed through to the next grade if their grades showed they should not? No wonder we have so many adults who can't read or spell!


If the foundations aren't there, it seems a waste of time to try to build further.

Peg, that was my point. If they spring it on the parents first day of school, there will be lawsuits. They must be properly notified, and grades must also be a factor, besides low test scores. It is usually based on three or four factors for retention, not just one. And a parent must be properly notified, and have time to respond. In most staes, a parent must agree to this, and sign a form about it. If these things were not down, that super is going to have problems..............

Bill Sikes wrote: If the foundations aren't there, it seems a waste of time to try to build further.
That's why the foundation should be built first; before they are moved to the next grade.

chonsigirl wrote: That's not enough to retain them, the grades have to reflect the same low scores. And the failing grades have to be there throughout the year, in at least 3 subject areas. That is the standards in my district/state.


Not in our school district. For instance, all 4th, 8th, and 12th graders must take the LEAP(Louisiana Educational Assessment Program), a standardized test. Regardless of your grades for the year, if you fail LEAP you have to repeat the grade. The option of going to summer school and retaking the test is available. It is a weeklong set of exams. My oldest daughter was sick the first two days of her fourth grade LEAP. We asked the school if she could make up the test, they said no. So she had to go to school sick. She was an honor student all year but failed the math portion of the LEAP probably because she felt like crap. She had to go to summer school and retake the math portion. We didn't know until a week before school started that she passed the second time and was promoted. Had she failed she would have had to repeat the 4th grade even though she was an honor student. That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid. Teachers unions on the other hand have blocked any attempts to make teachers take competency exams. Instead they want unaccountable tenure. That's why I hate standardized testing.

Adam Zapple wrote: Not in our school district. For instance, all 4th, 8th, and 12th graders must take the LEAP(Louisiana Educational Assessment Program), a standardized test. Regardless of your grades for the year, if you fail LEAP you have to repeat the grade. The option of going to summer school and retaking the test is available. It is a weeklong set of exams. My oldest daughter was sick the first two days of her fourth grade LEAP. We asked the school if she could make up the test, they said no. So she had to go to school sick. She was an honor student all year but failed the math portion of the LEAP probably because she felt like crap. She had to go to summer school and retake the math portion. We didn't know until a week before school started that she passed the second time and was promoted. Had she failed she would have had to repeat the 4th grade even though she was an honor student. That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid. Teachers unions on the other hand have blocked any attempts to make teachers take competency exams. Instead they want unaccountable tenure. That's why I hate standardized testing.


Yes the article mentioned that these children were being "monitored" through out the last year by their teachers, & it was not specifically stated, but it seemed implied that the parents of these students were awear of the situation. So. . . .

It was stated that the "800" students was "10%" of the school system's population.

Peg wrote: That's why the foundation should be built first; before they are moved to the next grade.


Peg, that was my point.