What do you think about retaining students at their grade level who do not meet standards for promotion?

Question

I would really like input from parents, teachers, students, principals, or anyone else involved in school.

Also, do you have any suggestions as an alternative solution?

Answer 1

Not the best answer to your question but two problems MUST be solved before the best answer (YES) can be achieved.

1. How does the school successfully and amicably deal with the obstinate parents that refuses to believe their children have not performed at grade level?

2, AND, of more importance (and rarely, if ever discussed) how does the school deal with the teachers (and there are many) that simply pass the failing student forward so that they, the teachers, do not have to deal with the same child in the following school year? This is truly a problem in very small schools where only one teacher per grade level is on staff.

When and if these problems are solved, I believe we will see a great advance in public education and in student performance across the board.

Answer 2

What are the standards? State mandated tests or basic general knowledge? Every teacher should be able to tell you whether or not a student has the basic skills to move on. Unfortunately if the standard is state mandated testing it has nothing to do with students basic knowledge. Alternative is first to determine what is it the student should know. There are many areas where the students should be involved in technical schools rather than pure academic. One of these days the states will learn we have to teach the students what the students need to survive.

Answer 3

I agree with the first answer. Social promotion does nothing to help the child. Each grade builds on knowledge learned the previous year and it doesn't get any easier. My school system used to practice social promotion on the theory that holding a child back hurts their self esteem. Well, my theory is that putting a child in a class where they can't do the work hurts their self esteem as well! A friend of mine wanted her child held back in 3rd grade. She felt her daughter had not really gotten the best she could have out of the grade. The school refused to do it, even at the mother's request...she would have had to go before the school board and jump through a lot of hoops, and the mom (my friend) finally gave up and let her kid go into 4th grade. I'm sure it wasn't easy for the daughter.

Answer 4

I see no other way to ensure the ongoing process of education.
The next-grade level of teaching is based on comprehension of the previous level. A student who is allowed to pass without having grasped this material will keep deteriorating in their achievements.
An alternative would be to give the student an opportunity to make up the missed information through tutoring. It would be a good idea to keep a progress report during the school year and strongly suggest the tutoring BEFORE the end of the school year.

Answer 5

A comprehensive review of the research literature suggests strongly that retention not only impacts negatively on the academic progress of at-risk students but also on their self-image and their motivation. However, promoting students who are academically and/or emotionally behind their peers without introducing the appropriate support is also counterproductive (although interestingly, the research suggests that at-risk students who are promoted to the next grade fare better than comparable students who are retained).

We must be realistic when we develop interventions, but we should not allow budgetary or other constraints to limit our visions of the “ideal” program. Striving for the “ideal” should not be construed as a naive effort in futility but rather as a journey that will help us to turn possibility into reality. We must also recognize that intervention programs may be drawn from a wide spectrum of services. For example, some students may require only several hours of tutoring each week to address their problems while other students who cannot be managed in a regular classroom setting may require placement in a self-contained classroom. Students should receive those services that will best meet their educational and emotional needs for success in school.

I have been asked, “Wouldn’t retention be effective if students repeating a grade were also provided with appropriate support so that they would truly have the opportunity to catch up?” Possibly so. However, since research does not support the efficacy of retention and even highlights its drawbacks, my preference is to promote at-risk students but insure that they receive the necessary support to help them to succeed in the next grade. If this were done, advancement to the following grade would not fall prey to the shortcomings and stigma of “social promotion” since the promotion was accompanied by comprehensive strategies to remedy their learning and/or emotional difficulties.

I appreciate that the task of identifying and providing students with interventions that will nurture their success is not always easy to achieve and in terms of dollars can be costly. However, as we identify the obstacles that prohibit us from delivering the most effective services we should keep in mind the possible consequences if we neglect to provide these services, namely, children who fail in school, who drop out emotionally and physically, whose dreams and aspirations are eclipsed by a sense of hopelessness, and whose futures become less promising and more bleak.

Given these possible consequences, I believe that the sensible choice is to devote our time, energy, and resources to minimize those obstacles that hamper the success of any child to learn and to succeed in school regardless of how daunting these obstacles may appear. As we engage in this task, we will be wise to question and avoid educational practices that research suggests may actually do more harm than good.

Answer 6

if the child has not put forth the effort to achieve high enough grades, they need to be held back. if they have worked hard and have done their best, it would serve no purpose to hold them back. perhaps they need to be in a special education setting. they might do better in a smaller classroom, like in a private school or homeschooled. many churches have good schools. parents need to be qualified before teaching their own children.

Answer 7

by all means have them repeat the same grade until they can meet the standards of promotion.

that means children will need the special attention and special instruction to help them move on.

The world has too many illiterate idiots in it.

Answer 8

i think just because they dont get on little subject they should not be held back from the whole grade also i think if they do not understand any of the subjects than they should be held back because they either need tutoring or he needs to go to another school

Answer 9

A Modest theory: For assisting the infants of faculties subjected to the rigors of standardized-sorting out, develop into advantageous to their instructors, techniques, and district. analyzing; whether it sounds drastic, it may exchange lives,and attempt rankings exceedingly. Do all you could to interest them books.customize books- do no longer p.c.. ones that are patronizing, yet ones that they are going to be genuinly fascinated in. supply prizes which incorporate candies, or different rewards for people who will examine outloud- make it a contest, till finally pupils are prompted via it, pushed via it. The greater desirable the priority, the greater desirable the ambition, the greater desirable the advantages must be. It takes an incredible instructor to teach a love for analyzing. yet as quickly because it incredibly is finished, it has opened the doorways for college pupils, and extra to the cave; amazing mild.