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Last Updated: 03/11/2005
The Rockbridge Report is produced
under the supervision of the Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communications
at Washington and Lee University.
Reporting supervisors: Prof. Doug Cumming
Technical supervisor:
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No child left behind? Students repeating grades in Rockbridge County -- how does the process work? By Leah Kershaw Grade retention is the last resort for struggling students in Rockbridge County elementary schools. Before agreeing to have a student repeat a grade, teachers and administrators must first exhaust all other methods of academic enrichment. The Rockbridge County school system does not have a policy about grade retention. Each of the four elementary schools in Rockbridge County decides grade retention cases on an individual basis. Barbara Burnett, a guidance counselor at Central Elementary, said that most grade retentions occur in kindergarten and first grade. She also said that the decision to have a student repeat a grade is based on the student’s physical size, emotional intelligence and his or her place in the learning curve. Harry Stone, the principal of Central Elementary, said that he makes grade retention decisions based on input from a student’s teachers, parents and his own interaction with the child. According to Stone, state SOL scores are supposed to be a major factor in the decision, but the results do not come until mid-July. By that time, the decisions about holding students back have already been made. Stone is hesitant to hold a child back because “pure grade retention does not work.” He said that his hesitation stems from numerous national studies that found students who are held back are 50 percent less likely to graduate from high school. The National Association of School Psychologists’ position statement also says that there is an increased dropout rate for students who are retained. The association’s website states, “Students who were retained or had delayed kindergarten entry are more likely to drop out of school compared to students who were never retained, even when controlling for achievement levels.” For grade retention to be successful, it must “be made (into) something other than failure,” said Stone. The students who are positively influenced by grade retention are likely to have a strong support structure at home that causes them to be achievers, said Stone. Stone provided an example of a kindergartener, “Bobby Sue,” who was held back. “I knew I was in trouble with Bobby Sue the day of school registration,” he said. “Bobby Sue’s mother, grandmother and aunt came to register her. During that time her feet never touched the floor. Bobby Sue was expected to be a baby by her family and she consequently acted like a baby. When she entered kindergarten, she had the intellectual ability of a 2-year-old. She could not recognize her letters or colors.” In the majority of cases, Stone finds other methods to provide students with the extra instruction they need. He said that he uses tutors, academic coaches and classroom aids to provide children with the instruction they need to succeed. Stone said that in some cases, he will invite the student to summer school to prepare them for the coming year. However, he also said that summer school attendance can not be compulsory for elementary school students in Rockbridge County. Lori Hocker, a kindergarten teacher at Central, has experienced grade retention as both a teacher and a parent. She said that six to eight students a year repeat kindergarten at Central. “These are kids that are going to first grade and don’t have the core academics to make it,” she said. The major criteria for promotion to first grade are familiarity with the alphabet and the ability to recognize 10 high frequency words such as “the” and “as.” Hocker’s two sons both repeated a grade. She said that the extra year made a major difference in her sons’ development. “There are some kids for whom it is best to have two years of preschool, kindergarten or first grade,” she said. John Alexander, principal of Fairfield Elementary, has a policy similar to Stone. Alexander said that he rarely uses grade retention in the higher grades. His philosophy has always been that kindergarten and first grade are the grades to help kids. He said that if a child is really struggling in the lower levels of elementary school, it makes sense to hold them back. At Fairfield, grade retention in kindergarten can be a positive experience. According to Alexander, students receive a lot of positive reinforcement and become the classroom leaders for the first time students. Alexander said that the final decision about grade retention is made in May because children can make marked progress in a short amount of time because they are so young. He said that a few months are a significant chunk of a kindergarten student’s life. According to Alexander, kindergarten is no longer a structured playtime for children because students now have to learn basic literary skills. This adjustment can be difficult for children who have received no preschool training. “Kindergarten is almost like what first grade used to be,” said Alexander. |