(n) Re: Repeat grades et

[Guest guest]

I agree about that a student should not be told in his senior year that he hasn't achieved what it takes to graduate – that should have been clear to the school, and been communicated to the student, much earlier than that, and the option to repeat a year should be there if necessary. There has been the same change here, when I was in school some students were held back a year, especially early on (when issues of maturity could be a factor, not all kids are ready to start first grade at 7, and it would be unfair to make them start regular school before they are ready for it, because they'll start out with a disadvantage). But nowadays that's practucally not heard of, here either. With the quite predictable result that students are not as well prepared to advance when they advance, which mean that the teachers of the higher grade will have to work harder to make their students take in even the basics, resulting in them being able to spend less time and energy on what should be the core of the grade they are teaching, resulting in the students being less well prepared for the next grade, and so on... The unwillingness to let students stay behind for a year when they need to really affect not only the quality of the education that student is getting, but of the education as a whole. It's not the teachers fault, they can only do so much and they only have the same amounts of hours in a day as the rest of us. To be fair, they now have something called "Individual Program" that a student who is unable to qualify for high school after junior high can enroll in, with the goal of getting ready for high school later on. And the name "individual" is referring to the idea that each student should only spend as long time in the individual program as he or she needs to before re-applying for high school. But it seems to be a bit too little too late. I mean, after junior high, you've already been in school for a number of years, and I am sure the problems that lead to not being able to get into high school started way before the last year of junior high. And for too many students the Individual Program becomes what they do INSTEAD of high school, rather than a way of getting ready for high school. ok, just my 2c....love/Reb>> Hi Sharon,> > The WASL began in 1997, just a few years before No Child Left Behind was enacted. Even when I was in school, there were assessment tests; but, the big difference between then and now is that students need to pass the assessment tests before they can graduate. We took assessment tests for statistical purposes only. Teachers weren't going to get fired if students did not do well. What does a student do if he gets all the way through high school and is in his senior year and has yet to pass the proficiency exams? > > Back when I was in elementary school, there were students that were held back to repeat grades if they were not proficient enough to advance to the next grade. My sister and brother were both retained in 4th grade. So, 4 one year, they were both in 4th grade. Now, especially here where I live, it is unheard of for a child to repeat a grade. When I got a letter from the Middle School principal that Marcus was in danger of failing; I told him that It would be in his best interest to be kept in middle school, at least for one more year. But, the district doesn't like to have any of the students be kept back. So, forward they go, whether they are ready for it or not. > > It is still possible for a student to excel in high school and not be able to do well on the standardized proficiency exams. While I did well in some subjects in high school, there were others that I didn't do well. Of course, if my graduation from high school had depended upon passing proficiency exams, I doubt that I would have been able to graduate. > > Donna in WA>