A new idea for middle schools

[Anonymous]

I read a Wash Post article about 9th grade "twilight academies" where repeating 9th graders go to school from 3:30 to 7:30 for remedial work. This keeps them separate from the first time 9th graders. Often the students who fail 9th grade are functionally illiterate. Everyone wonders how they got to 9th grade without being able to read.

Pilot programs have shown huge success in separating those who need remedial work from those who were ready to go. A 97percent pass rate for the new 9th graders and more progress than normal among the students attending the twilight academy separate from the others.

Why not implement this in 6th grade? Assess the kids leaving elementary school and if they are reading and doing math way below grade level, allow them a separate program to get extra help to catch up.

This solves two problems: it would get those kids extra help earlier and I guarantee it would convince many people who leave DCPS because of middle school to stay on.

Why is it ok to do this in 9th grade but "differentiation" is the answer in 6th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read a Wash Post article about 9th grade "twilight academies" where repeating 9th graders go to school from 3:30 to 7:30 for remedial work. This keeps them separate from the first time 9th graders. Often the students who fail 9th grade are functionally illiterate. Everyone wonders how they got to 9th grade without being able to read.

Pilot programs have shown huge success in separating those who need remedial work from those who were ready to go. A 97percent pass rate for the new 9th graders and more progress than normal among the students attending the twilight academy separate from the others.

Why not implement this in 6th grade? Assess the kids leaving elementary school and if they are reading and doing math way below grade level, allow them a separate program to get extra help to catch up.

This solves two problems: it would get those kids extra help earlier and I guarantee it would convince many people who leave DCPS because of middle school to stay on.

Why is it ok to do this in 9th grade but "differentiation" is the answer in 6th grade?

Are 6th graders held back or is there just social promotion? If they are held back then it's a great idea, but I'd say let DCPS implement it city-wide at the HS level first, then try it for MS.

[Anonymous]

Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

If that's the case, then I don't understand how they could implement the program aimed at separating out those repeating 9th grade from others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

If that's the case, then I don't understand how they could implement the program aimed at separating out those repeating 9th grade from others.

I am guessing that DC law does not apply to high school, maybe?

[Anonymous]

Here is the article about the DC law and Mr. Cantania's proposal:

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-28/opinions/37350570_1_middle-school-social-promotion-school-closings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

The problem that no-one here is acknowledging, is that the only option with worse outcomes than social promotion, is holding kids back. Obviously they need remediation, and obviously it should be identified before 9th grade, but according to the research holding kids back beyond 2nd grade has worse results than social promotion.

Yes, it sounds like a simple solution, implement it and problem solved, but it's not that simple after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

The problem that no-one here is acknowledging, is that the only option with worse outcomes than social promotion, is holding kids back. Obviously they need remediation, and obviously it should be identified before 9th grade, but according to the research holding kids back beyond 2nd grade has worse results than social promotion.

Yes, it sounds like a simple solution, implement it and problem solved, but it's not that simple after all.

I do not buy it that social promotion is better since DC has a drop out rate of about 40% and then how many of the so-called graduates from DCPS graduate essentially illiterate and unable to do basic math??? You call that a good outcome???

Obviously I am all for early identification and remediation, in separate classrooms when needed, of struggling students. I am also for mandatory summer school for struggling students as well and Saturday school and tutoring as well. I do think that keeping students behind a grade should be a part of the tool box as well when all of these other measures are tried as well.

[Anonymous]

I forgot to mention that I am also in favor of ability grouping in separate classrooms since differentiation is a joke especially when you have students who are years behind in the mix.

[Anonymous]

Weak elementary schools with uneven teaching is the problem. Fundamentally there are a lot of kids that have a very weak grasp, if any at all of important concepts in science, literature, social studies and math, Middle school expects a person a lot more out of kids and they can't make the leap. We are asking our middle and high schools to make up for the issues of the previous six years, it just can't be done.

[Anonymous]

We are builidng schools with smaller capacities... if we are not careful we could have a school with more repeaters than actual current students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

don't think it's law, it's DCPS policy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weak elementary schools with uneven teaching is the problem.

Do you have evidence back up this statement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

The problem that no-one here is acknowledging, is that the only option with worse outcomes than social promotion, is holding kids back. Obviously they need remediation, and obviously it should be identified before 9th grade, but according to the research holding kids back beyond 2nd grade has worse results than social promotion.

Yes, it sounds like a simple solution, implement it and problem solved, but it's not that simple after all.

I do not buy it that social promotion is better since DC has a drop out rate of about 40% and then how many of the so-called graduates from DCPS graduate essentially illiterate and unable to do basic math??? You call that a good outcome???

Obviously I am all for early identification and remediation, in separate classrooms when needed, of struggling students. I am also for mandatory summer school for struggling students as well and Saturday school and tutoring as well. I do think that keeping students behind a grade should be a part of the tool box as well when all of these other measures are tried as well.

It's not a matter of "buying" anything. Research has demonstrated over and over again, that students who are held back after 2nd grade, are more likely to drop out, and are less likely to leave skills with functional literacy and math. It simply doesn't work.

Suggesting that the school system address a problem by adopting something that has been demonstrated, over and over again, to CAUSE the problem is like saying "Lung cancer is a huge problem. We have to do something. Let's go out and increase smoking rates, maybe we could teach classes about how to smoke in the elementary schools".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Umm, as it stands now it is illegal to flunk students who are not in 3rd, 5th, or 8th grade in DCPS from what I recall and then DCPS can only hold them back once I believe cantania is proposing ending social promotion which I am in favor of. Struggling students need intensive remediation which cannot be done in a normal classroom in most cases.

I agree that 9th grade is too late to identify struggling students. it is shameful that DCPS socially promotes children on to ultimate failure. These children need help and not social promotion.

The problem that no-one here is acknowledging, is that the only option with worse outcomes than social promotion, is holding kids back. Obviously they need remediation, and obviously it should be identified before 9th grade, but according to the research holding kids back beyond 2nd grade has worse results than social promotion.

Yes, it sounds like a simple solution, implement it and problem solved, but it's not that simple after all.

I do not buy it that social promotion is better since DC has a drop out rate of about 40% and then how many of the so-called graduates from DCPS graduate essentially illiterate and unable to do basic math??? You call that a good outcome???

Obviously I am all for early identification and remediation, in separate classrooms when needed, of struggling students. I am also for mandatory summer school for struggling students as well and Saturday school and tutoring as well. I do think that keeping students behind a grade should be a part of the tool box as well when all of these other measures are tried as well.

It's not a matter of "buying" anything. Research has demonstrated over and over again, that students who are held back after 2nd grade, are more likely to drop out, and are less likely to leave skills with functional literacy and math. It simply doesn't work.

Suggesting that the school system address a problem by adopting something that has been demonstrated, over and over again, to CAUSE the problem is like saying "Lung cancer is a huge problem. We have to do something. Let's go out and increase smoking rates, maybe we could teach classes about how to smoke in the elementary schools".

Social promotion and holding kids back are BOTH terrible. They need to begin remedial tutoring programs or actually teach remedial classes. I think DCPS needs to get their act together. I think they need to fund teachers/programs and stop jerking the public around with ever shifting agendas/chancellors.