20% of Seniors Flunk High School Graduation Exam: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/l...567.story?coll=la-story-footer&track=morenews
OK, I'm putting in my 2-cents worth!!! Let me quote from the article.... D'Janay, 17, said she passed the English section on the first try but has failed the math part three times. She is taking an extra remedial math class this semester to help her pass the test, in addition to her Algebra II class and two Advanced Placement courses. She said she has a 2.0 grade point average. "I am totally freaking out that I may not graduate," said D'Janay, who attended a rally against the exit exam this week in a park next to her high school. Now here's MY question. What the heck is she doing in an Algebra II class? You wanna bet she passes that class, never mind that she can't pass a test that is only on an 8th grade level? Grade point of 2.0, and taking Advanced Placement classes? I DON'T THINK SO!!! When I was in school, advanced placement meant just that...ADVANCED...for kids that had at least a 3. average. They've just passed her on because the school district says EVERY kid will take Algebra II. That's what's happening in my husband's district. And notice they keep harping on the special needs kids, and ESL kids. Just what is the percentage of NON special needs kids that don't pass? That's something they never tell you!
A good friend from church works at the local ps here, and she's constantly telling me stories... Did you know (at least in OK) that a teacher CANNOT hold a child back a grade--no matter what grade they earn--if the parent doesn't approve? So a child could have no concept of reading, writing, math, etc. but because the parent doesn't want them to be held back (embarrassment, being biggest in the class, etc. are the reasons she hears), the teacher HAS TO promote them to the next level. My question is: why give grades at all, then? If the parent decides if they can promote, why do the teachers assign grades?
Where we're at, they are permitted to flunk once in elementary, and once (grade level, not individual classes) in middle/high school. At least, that's how it was. Am not so sure anymore. All I know is that if *I* were the teacher, I would want it ON RECORD that I had tried to hold the child back but wasn't permitted to do so. I wouldn't want, ten years down the road, everyone mad because I just promoted them socially!!!DH has also been told in the past by the principal that any student who shows up to class is "trying", and should be passed on that merit alone. No matter how badly they might be doing, no matter their behavior, no matter if they turn in any homework or not.
But boy if you do have a kid who has trouble and try to hold them back as the parent that is sure trouble for you too. We tried that with Ansley and they wouldn't hold her back in K or 1st grade. She was to smart and needed to move up. It would just hurt her self-esteem too much they said. Then 8 weeks into 2nd grade they call a meeting and want to put her back a grade. 8 weeks into a school year. Do you think that would hurt self-esteem? What do you think of that one?
A very good point to ponder. I am debating this one myself. My oldest is, by age, a 4th grader and I have yet to give a letter grade to anything he does. I teach for mastery, so regardless of the work my kids do they correct each page to 100%. See if you can follow my reasoning here (not even sure that I can :lol: ). Ideally, all children would be homeschooled or at least tutored in a way that matches their learning style. If that method is used then NO child would ever be in need of a grade because they wouldn't advance in the subject until they could master the content, kwim? Following that line of thinking, the public schools would have no need for grades either if they were teaching for mastery. So....if they aren't going to teach for mastery I suppose they do need to give a letter grade just to "rank" the kids who have attained mastery of a subject area. That's the really sad part to me. There is probably no reason that alot of kids get "bad grades". It's just that they were shoved through before they understood what was being taught and without that knowledge base they have nothing to build on for the rest of their school career. I don't understand why this isn't something more people have figured out. Well, I guess they have but it is impossible to implement a course of action (IEPs for everyone) in a public school setting. Praise God for homeschooling!!! -- Oh, and I didn't read the article yet cuz the responses got my wheels turning...did ya hear the grinding?
I'm not sure I totally agree with you, Brooke. When I give Rachael a math test, I don't expect her to have 100% on each test. It doesn't bother me if she misses one or two. Sure, we go back and correct it, but..... The history I'm doing right now with my girls. Rachael has a good idea who all the prophets are, but she might not be able to name which one is cousin to King Josiah. She couldn't tell which one used a dirty cloth as a visual, but Faythe could. What exactly is MASTERY? Is it 100% 100% of the time? I don't think that's realistic. Ideally, grades were there to show different levels of mastery or competency. Now, no one's sure just WHAT they show!
This has really been on my mind, lately. My SIL and I were discussing ps vs hs and she's seeing a trend in her kids school where parents are holding kids back a grade (on purpose)--not for academic trouble, but for athletics. This way, their kid is the biggest, fastest, tallest, etc. on the football/basketball/baseball teams. Can you imagine? What are they telling the kids that their priorities should be?
Okmom, are you saying a child can pass the whole way through the system-even graduate- without learning what needs to be learned, just because a parent didn't want them held back?? That's wild. It has to catch up with them somewhere..
According to my friend who works at the ps....yes. She said it's state law that a teacher cannot hold a child back to repeat a grade level without the parent's permission. The can move from grade 2 to grade 3 without knowing how to read or write (and apparently, it happens a lot). This doesn't make any sense to me.
Grade 2 to 3 is one thing, but you'd think on the way to middle school there'd be something to show the gap.
Not sure about high school, but she's mentioned several cases up until 9th grade, at least. It's sad! I can't imagine the next teacher trying to teach someome who doesn't have the basic building blocks to work from.
That is bad. I can't believe that a parent would want a child to go on up into the next grade and they can't even read or write. I want Vicki to be able to understand and comprehend before she goes to the next grade. As for as holding one back because of sports I am sorry but that is just old fashioned STUPID!!!!
Not only that, when you have half a math class that can't keep up, it holds the other more-capable kids back, too.
I might also add that sometimes teachers don't know what the state law is. I know in our district, what the law says and what the district TELLS teachers the law says isn't always the same. This was especially true in special ed. They claimed that a kid with an IEP couldn't be suspended. That was a bunch of bull, because the administration didn't want to go through all the hoops to cause it to happen. I'm betting they're doing the same with holding kids back. They don't want to fight the parents, so they don't. They also know that with "No Child Left Behind" they look bad if they hold back too many, so the administration might lie about them not being able to. Sorry, I don't trust most administrators. Amanda's in the classroom now; I wonder what it's like for her.
Wow, I WISH our district wouldn't have suspended spec ed kids. I wasn't even aware, until recently, that I didn't have to keep Kevin classified as spec ed. I got so sick of fighting the school that I didn't bother keeping up on things.
I am telling you the troubles I am having with Sara Because the school district didn't do their job.Ignorance amazes me. Someone tries to save face at the child's expense.
