Stopping Social Promotion or Reduce Barriers?
Posted by Conservative Professor in Current Affairs
Should we hold 3rd graders back because they don’t pass a reading test? I have another idea…
Senate Bill 258 is being debated by our lawmakers would hold third graders back if they don’t pass the ISTEP reading test.
I can see some sense in this, but at the same time, I think students should be remediated while still in their same age group. In the high schools, students who don’t pass the end-of-course assessments keep moving up with their peers, but they repeat the one course and have remediation in the one subject. There is a mix of age groups in most classes–based on the level of need.
The Indiana Department of Education website, states 1,100 students in Allen County failed the language arts portion of the ISTEP.
From WPTA: “At Fort Wayne Community Schools, 33 percent or 790 students, didn’t pass. East Allen County Schools had 26 percent or 179 students fail. Northwest Allen County Schools saw 14 percent or 70 students not pass. And 12 percent or 61 students at Southwest County Schools failed. These students would be held back under if this bill passes.”
Already, it’s a fight about money. How about a fight about what is right for the individual student?
State Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett spoke out on the funding issue:
“While I understand some may have fiscal concerns with the legislation, I believe taxpayers provide schools funding to teach children. Asking schools to realign their resources to support this critical foundation for educational success only makes sense.”
Fort Wayne Community Schools says they don’t like the idea:
More from WPTA: “But Fort Wayne Community School officials say this idea is not necessarily the best way to fix the problem. They say full-day kindergarten would benefit students more. “
Why not take out the ‘grade-level’ barriers all together? Let students who excel in Math, go ahead in Math. Let students who read above grade-level, read higher? Those students who need help in one subject area, get help in one area. Why is this reserved for high school students?
8th graders are allowed to take a few high school courses in our schools. Seniors are allowed to take remedial Math. Why not open education to all abilities and let students get what they need?
Already we have dropped the idea of ‘gifted’..but this idea would solve both problems. Let students excel AND get help. Remove the barriers developed by the traditional pedagogy.
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I agree with remediation while keeping the student with his or her peers. My brother was held back in second grade because of his reading problems, back in the 50s, and it brought nothing but shame. It did precious little to help him learn. Kids have a variety or reasons for not reading well, from indifferent parents to poor teachers, to deeper problems. They should not be penalized, certainly not at that age, but rather the school needs to figure out how to help that kid, each kid…
I agree. Education should be about individual students.
I teach college students who have never excelled in Math before, but are above 'grade' level/ready for college courses in other areas. They have brilliant minds, but usually have one subject they struggle with.
They are allowed to go on in other areas that work the brain, but 'step-back' in Math because they need it. Some 'step-back' in writing, others just reading.
Simple concept as far as I am concerned. There should be a simple solution.
keeping children with their peers is nonsense what about the children that skip levels should they be held back? there is no shame in being held back some children just need that extra year my nephew excells at school now after being held back he just wasnt ready. there is no stigma attached to it.
Reading skills are essential to success in every other subject. The work doesn't start at post-3rd grade evaluation. It should include 1st & 2nd grade evaluation. FWCS is supporting the union model. Fulltime kindergarten means jobs. There has been little empirical support of fullday kindergarten or HeadStart.
Z–If you haven’t lived with a child or taught a child who has been held back, then it is really hard to say there isn’t ever any stigma. The older the child, the worse it is.
Children look back at their school class pictures and remember who isn’t there. “Oh ya, they were held back.” They don’t have the same friends anymore, they don’t go on class field trips together, etc.. I could really go on.
The point being, that the barriers need to disappear and let students excel AND get remediation where they need it.
Don’t get me wrong, on this. I think Reading is essential (agreeing with Steve) and the emphasis on those skills has to be done far before the end of 3rd grade before you see there is a problem.
The solution I proposed was from K-12 to help every student be where their skills took them in each subject.
We pass studens through the elementary and middle schools into the high schools of FWCS with blanket social promotion no matter how they perform. If they're not ready for high school, they will fail but the high schools (like NSHS and SSHS and their staff) will get the blame for their failure. Worst of all it sends a message to the kids that are no consequences for failure. It's the equivalent of bailing out failing banks. By rewarding poor performance we should only expect more poor performance.