Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is offering "wiggle room" for NYC's third-graders who flunk the state's standardized reading test:
The new promotion requirements, announced last month by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, would force any child scoring at the lowest level on the annual citywide reading or math tests to repeat the third grade. But at a public forum on the new policy, held yesterday evening by the Manhattan borough president, C. Virginia Fields, the chancellor said that parents would be given a chance to plead for their child's promotion...
The policy is intended to end a practice known as "social promotion," in which students are advanced despite failing to meet academic requirements. In recent weeks it has come under increasing criticism by parents.
Numerous studies of such policies around the country have found no benefit in forcing students to repeat a grade and instead show that those held back are far more likely to drop out before graduating high school.
Again, the chicken-and-egg problem. This doesn't mean retaining causes them to drop out later; what it most likely means is that kids who are struggling enough with early grades to be retained are more likely to drop out later.
Students who still scored at Level 1, the lowest of four rankings on the standardized tests, would be able to enroll in an intensive summer-school program and to retake the test. Those still at Level 1 would be forced to repeat the third grade. Under the city's policy, children scoring at Level 2, which is still considered failing to meet academic standards, could be promoted.
"We're talking Level 1 - which is far below standard," Mr. Klein said. "So even with the fallibility of testing, there is a wide margin in there. But as I said, that being so, we will have a process whereby students through their teachers - if their teachers think it's warranted - can make an appropriate appeal."
I'd like to hear more about the standard error of the test, and to know how far below proficient the ranking of Level 1 is. If it's very far - say two standard deviations or so - below what would be considered proficient, then Mr. Klein has a point here. Students scoring at Level 1 are unlikely to have true abilities at or above the proficient level.
On a related note, Jay P. Greene, writing in the New York Post, praises Klein:
The reforms being championed by Chancellor Joel Klein could finally lead to significant improvement of the city's schools after many frustrating years of spending increases and academic stagnation...
First, Klein supports a radical revision of the teachers-union contract that would eliminate counter-productive work rules and ease barriers to firing bad teachers. As Eva Moskowitz's City Council hearings made clear, the union contract in New York is a monstrosity, making it nearly impossible to get rid of lousy teachers...The single most important thing that a city schools chief can do to improve academic outcomes is to destroy the stranglehold that the teachers union has on the school system through the contract...
Klein has also made a big push to enforce academic standards by ending the social promotion of third graders who haven't acquired basic skills. New York students suffer under the existing system of being pushed to the next grade regardless of whether they learn anything or not...
if students repeat grades when they haven't been taught the basic material, teachers will have much greater incentive to make sure their students learn: High retention rates would produce unwanted media attention and parental ire...
Klein's proposed addition of 50 charter schools should be music to reformers' ears. Not only would it expand education options in the city, but it gives the chancellor leverage in his union contract negotiations...
Posted by kswygert at February 27, 2004 09:23 AM