Posted on 02/13/2012 3:47:38 PM PST by ColdOne
DENVER Lawmakers in at least four US states are considering legislation that would make students repeat third grade if they can't pass state reading exams, reviving debates about whether retaining students boosts achievement or increases their odds of dropping out.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Colorado introduced legislation early this month that would prod schools to hold back children in kindergarten through third grade who don't meet state reading standards. In the early grades, parents could insist the child be promoted, but at third grade, the school district would have the ultimate say.
"The goal is not to retain students, but to get parents, teachers and students all working collaboratively to address the literacy problems when they first show up," said Colorado state Sen. Mike Johnston, a Democrat who is a sponsor of the bill.
Iowa, New Mexico and Tennessee also are considering bills on the issue.
All the bills, as well as similar ones passed recently in Oklahoma, Arizona and Indiana, aim to address literacy deficiencies that exist nationwide. Only one third of US schoolchildren had proficient scores on the most recent national reading exam, and scores have barely budged in two decades. That comes as children have made steady gains in math.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Other than job security for members of teachers unions, I mean?
Depends on why they didn’t learn to read in third grade. If they cannot read after third grade, however, they are going to just continue falling further and further behind.
Holding them back is better than pushing them through. If a student has difficulty in acquiring academic skills, it’s going to get worse for him as he goes through the system.
I think a better system would be to customize the cirriculum. If he’s functioning at grade three math, that’s what he should be learning. If he’s able to do grade 4 language arts, that is what he should be taught.
So now, keeping a failing kid in the same is a big story?
Social promotion is now the norm I guess.
WIll they make sure they have a different teacher?
Good idea from a former teacher here!
A diploma should indicate something more than time spent aggravating teachers.
Frankly, it's unfair ~ and not scientifically valid.
The article mentions four states. In which one is it an effort to improve high school athletic teams?
Frankly, it's unfair ~ and not scientifically valid.
That's a tantalizing statement. But I have no idea what you intend it to mean.
That’s just great. Punish the kids when it’s their IDIOT parents that are sending them to public schools and actually thinking they’ll learn something.
You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out that kids won’t learn jack from “Sight Words” and that if you don’t have them reading, via phonics, by the end of Kindergarten, you’ve basically failed at your job.
All of them that have highly competitive highschool football.
If you hold them back a year in gradeschool by the time they get to highschool they are a year older than they would otherwise be ~ 17 rather than 18, or 18 rather than 19.
Some states have actually debated new laws to prohibit the practice.
There's no scientific evidence that repeating 3rd grade makes you able to read better than not repeating 3rd grade.
There are already suitable CDs that can help your chil’ learn to read, write, type, do math, or understand history. You don’t need to wait on the schools to buy into electronically augmented learning!
Selecting for twenty-year old high school football players, eh?
Not at all uncommon for parents to “redshirt” kindergartners here in Indiana specifically for potential sports prowess. A fair number of nursery schools have developed a “pre-k” year to accomodate them.
That was the national obsession in Texas for a very long time.
When we sent our oldest daughter to the public school system in Jefferson County Colorado she was reading. We were so proud. By 2nd grade she was identified as a special needs student. We had a hard time with that since she did not show us that she was having a problem. Come to find out it was a way to get extra funding for the system. My husband told them we are pulling her & we were told that is a big mistake. Private school came through. Has a masters in IT. The other 2 daughters started out in private school but it broke us. College did take it all financially. But they all graduated with a master degrees. My kids are not a drain on the system. They pay their way. We would of been so disappointed if they felt they should be collecting from the entitlements.
When we sent our oldest daughter to the public school system in Jefferson County Colorado she was reading. We were so proud. By 2nd grade she was identified as a special needs student. We had a hard time with that since she did not show us that she was having a problem. Come to find out it was a way to get extra funding for the system. My husband told them we are pulling her & we were told that is a big mistake. Private school came through. Has a masters in IT. The other 2 daughters started out in private school but it broke us. College did take it all financially. But they all graduated with a master degrees. My kids are not a drain on the system. They pay their way. We would of been so disappointed if they felt they should be collecting from the entitlements.
I reviewed a lot of job applications over the years. Unless you've done something like that you have no idea how common functional illiteracy is.
If a student can't read without effort, and comprehend what he is reading, he should never enter high school. It is a waste of resources.
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