Can teachers fail a student for bad grades now a days?

[Anonymous]

I was an adjunct at a $$$ private school. I taught a pass/fail elective course. Needless to say, no kid was ever failed, though many should have been.

My BIL is a perfect example of someone lacking basic skills dropping out of HS. He's in his late 20's now, without a diploma or a GED. Probably more his parents' fault than the system's though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I've have kids who have failed every subject. You would think that would make them automatically fail the grade and have to repeat it. You would be wrong. Some of those kids will not be retained and will move on to the next grade against his/her teachers' objections.

Is this because of "no child left behind?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my oldest was in ES, we were told the kids got "weighted" grades. I don't know what that means, but as a practical matter, my son got Bs in Reading when he was completely unable to read. In MS, grades were no longer weighted and there were definitely some failing grades. Same in HS. Thing is, high school is more like college in that you have to take a bunch of classes - some defined, some out of a selection in a subject matter and some electives. If a class has a prerequisite, you have to take the prerequisite first. But, if not, you can take the classes in any order you want. So, if you fail some classes, you just pick them up later instead of repeating a grade. But, if you fail, the class doesn't count.

I guess this is one way of closing the achievement gap. This is shameful. How is this helping kid be educated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happens when a child is held back a year?

Alas, data on kids of equally poor academic standing shows that retaining that student is WORSE than promoting forward. And, of course, promoting forward without supports is WORSE than providing supports.

This is partly the reason why we have adults who can only read at a 3rd grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I've have kids who have failed every subject. You would think that would make them automatically fail the grade and have to repeat it. You would be wrong. Some of those kids will not be retained and will move on to the next grade against his/her teachers' objections.

I have repeaters in my 9th grade classes. I had no idea. My colleague, who taught all 9 last year, said he recognized quite a few.

Kids who have failed often walk the stage and are handed a diploma.

Grades mean nothing in many schools, and at my school, if WE fail too many (b/c it's never on the kid), we're called on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I've have kids who have failed every subject. You would think that would make them automatically fail the grade and have to repeat it. You would be wrong. Some of those kids will not be retained and will move on to the next grade against his/her teachers' objections.

Is this because of "no child left behind?"

I am the teacher who posted this. It is mostly because our principal makes the final call and can only hold back a certain number of students. It is ridiculous and chances are, the same thing will happen the following year.

And this is why I had high school students that were reading at the 4th grade level and did not know how to use a ruler. So sad.

I have one reading between a K and 1st grade level.

high school

[Anonymous]

If a child failed to pass the first time around, what makes you think repeating the grade - and method of instruction - again would yield different results? If a child isn't able to learn it the first time, they need to be evaluated for LDs and, if qualified, get an IEP. Not addressing learning issues early harms everyone. I've got 2 kids in FCPS and I've seen all too often how willing the school system is to pass the kid to the next level. If we hadn't agitated so much and paid for tutoring, our kids would have been in high school but only capable of elementary level work. Yes, it's expensive to target the elementary kids but not as expensive as it is for high school students and the societal cost when they're adults but not adequately educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I've have kids who have failed every subject. You would think that would make them automatically fail the grade and have to repeat it. You would be wrong. Some of those kids will not be retained and will move on to the next grade against his/her teachers' objections.

Is this because of "no child left behind?"

I am the teacher who posted this. It is mostly because our principal makes the final call and can only hold back a certain number of students. It is ridiculous and chances are, the same thing will happen the following year.

And this is why I had high school students that were reading at the 4th grade level and did not know how to use a ruler. So sad.

I have one reading between a K and 1st grade level.



high school

Do these kids have IEPs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I've have kids who have failed every subject. You would think that would make them automatically fail the grade and have to repeat it. You would be wrong. Some of those kids will not be retained and will move on to the next grade against his/her teachers' objections.

Is this because of "no child left behind?"

No, it's because the evidence is pretty overwhelming that holding kids back in elementary school makes them more likely to continue to fail and to leave school early and illiterate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I've have kids who have failed every subject. You would think that would make them automatically fail the grade and have to repeat it. You would be wrong. Some of those kids will not be retained and will move on to the next grade against his/her teachers' objections.

Is this because of "no child left behind?"

I am the teacher who posted this. It is mostly because our principal makes the final call and can only hold back a certain number of students. It is ridiculous and chances are, the same thing will happen the following year.

And this is why I had high school students that were reading at the 4th grade level and did not know how to use a ruler. So sad.

I have one reading between a K and 1st grade level.

high school

Presuming that he spent 6 years in elementary school, if he didn't make it through a full year's curriculum, what makes you think that another year would have been the solution?

[Anonymous]

If a student didn't master the material in one grade, what makes anyone think they will be able to master the material in the following grade (which typically builds upon what was supposed to have been learned in the previous grade)?

[Anonymous]

At my private, the principal bows to parents' wishes in all things. Hence, if you don't want your child to be tested for LD, despite the teacher's advice, your child won't be tested. If you don't want your child to fail, your child won't fail (because the principal will change the grades/narratives and admonish teachers). We have kids who are going to be completely unprepared for the next phase of life/education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a child failed to pass the first time around, what makes you think repeating the grade - and method of instruction - again would yield different results? If a child isn't able to learn it the first time, they need to be evaluated for LDs and, if qualified, get an IEP. Not addressing learning issues early harms everyone. I've got 2 kids in FCPS and I've seen all too often how willing the school system is to pass the kid to the next level. If we hadn't agitated so much and paid for tutoring, our kids would have been in high school but only capable of elementary level work. Yes, it's expensive to target the elementary kids but not as expensive as it is for high school students and the societal cost when they're adults but not adequately educated.

If a kid has a bad attitude, doesn't pay attention in class, doesn't do their homework and skips lots of school then I certainly don't think an IEP is warranted. Parenting is needed more than anything. And if the kid flunks, and had to repeat a grade, but the parent(s) didn't give a shit then I honestly don't think there's much at all that can be done for that kid. Sorry, but honest truth. Youth and schooling squandered.

[Anonymous]

Agreed PP. This happens with quite a few of the MS students at my school. They know they will most likely pass even if they don't do any work.

[Anonymous]

I taught in a school where there was wholesale retention. It usually was not effective--unless it was a child who was "young" for the grade. I don't mean birthday, I mean maturity.