The Retention of 11,000 third Graders
By Rosalie Friend, Ph.D.
The
announcement from the Department of Education that 11,000
third graders will not be able to progress to fourth grade
is troubling. The very low scores these youngsters earned
on standardized tests seem to indicate that they have not
mastered third grade skills. Still, a recent comprehensive
study by the Consortium on Chicago School Research confirms
earlier findings that repeating a grade does not enable struggling
learners to catch up with their peers. Not surprisingly,
social promotion does not help struggling learners either.
The idea of contrasting these two ineffective approaches
may be an example of naïve
reasoning i.e., a false dichotomy, or it may be intended
to befuddle the public while the city improves fourth grade
test scores by removing weak students rather than helping
them learn.
If
social promotion doesn’t work and grade retention doesn’t
work, what can we do? Ask any well-to-do parent whose children
are struggling in school. Get individual tutoring. Get counseling
if the academic problems are due to emotional problems. Provide
a school with smaller classes, more individual attention,
and special remediation for the type of problems the child
has. We know how to help children learn, but so far our society
has been reluctant to provide this help to children of modest
means.
Studies comparing
high needs schools to low needs schools find striking contrasts.
Many children enter schools in low-income areas with significantly
lower vocabularies, limited background knowledge, and little
familiarity with books. These schools typically have older
textbooks, smaller class libraries, teachers with lower credentials
and less experience, fewer opportunities for art, music and
other enrichment, fewer class trips, etc. The Campaign for
Fiscal Equity just proved in court that New York State was
under-funding schools in New York City and other high needs
districts.
Money
owed by the state and the money that the Department of Education
intends to use to hold back innocent third graders, could
be used to do many things that have been shown to improve
children’s learning. By paying competitive salaries
the city could get more highly trained teachers. By reducing
class size and providing professional development, the city
could enable teachers to adapt instruction to children’s
individual needs. By providing rich school libraries and
classroom libraries the city could help teachers involve
children in learning to read. By providing conflict resolution
programs, schools can reduce interpersonal tensions that
make it difficult for children to learn. These resources
are taken for granted in prosperous communities, which achieve
higher test scores than most inner city schools.
Two
specific programs have been found to be very successful in
boosting the achievement of young children. One is Head Start,
a comprehensive preschool program for children of limited
economic means set up by the federal government. The other
is Reading Recovery, an intensive tutoring program in which
very highly trained teachers give individual instruction
to struggling first graders. Why aren’t these proven
programs provided for all who need them?
Teaching
is very complex work. Children come to schools with different
background knowledge, goals, temperaments, and values. False
dichotomies oversimplify many aspects of education. Phonics
or reading comprehension—children need both. Math calculations
or understanding—children need both. Transmitting the
knowledge and values of our society or developing each child’s
individual abilities—children need both. Direct instruction
led by the teacher or discovery and student collaboration—children
need both. In addition, society now demands that the schools
teach critical thinking and problem solving. This is much
harder than what we experienced as children; memorization
and obedience were good enough for us.
Other changes
in society make things harder for schools and students too.
The change from extended or nuclear families to unmarried
parents, divorced parents, single parent families, and remixed
families can make growing up harder for children. Working
parents have less time to supervise children and help with
homework, or even provide emotional support. Parents who
cannot find work are often anxious and may not be able to
give their children the help they need. Children in foster
care or living in homeless shelters frequently have personal
problems that interfere with their schoolwork. These social
problems must be addressed if children are going to be able
to do their best in school.
False dichotomies
can distract us from learning from the research on education
and distract us from finding out how to meet the needs of
all children. Removing children from the group being tested
will raise the test scores of that group, but it will not
improve education. We should reexamine the data and provide
real assistance to students who have difficulties. Holding
back struggling children does not work.#
Rosalie
Friend, Ph.D is an adjunct associate professor in the Department
of Educational Foundations, Hunter College School of Education.
