students and retention

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Home : 2003 : August : 3

students and retention
By Cathy-Dee

I firmly believe that in the primary grades students should not be held back for more than 2 years, preferably only 1 year if necessary.

Some children are going to struggle with learning no matter how much intervention
we give them. So in this case I think it is much better for the student to move on and be on an individualized program that will allow her to have success at her level within a classroom of her peers. She may require some pull-out time as well and most likely should be on a life-skills program.
Schools need to be able to adapt and to find ways to help these children before they get to

8th grade and are at a grade 3 reading level. Or if they are not going to be able to be good readers then we need to find ways to teach them without having reading as the mainstay of the learning.

It is not an easy answer and there are no easy solutions to this problem. As public schools we are bound so much by funding and by rules that it is difficult to reach some of these children. And on top of that we need parental support which we do not always have.

I do think however regardless of where the student is in their learning that it is much more detrimental and harmful to keep them back so that they are 14 and in grade 5. What that does to a student's self-esteem we can only imagine.

If school has not begun yet I would seriously have a talk with your adminstrator and special ed team about having her placed into the grade six classroom and being put on an individualized program to suit her needs. She is going to need this help regardless but at least she will be closer in age to her peer group and will be able to form friendships with her classmates.

If I was a parent I would worry about having a 14 year in with 10 year olds because there is a world of difference between them.