\doc\web\99\01\socprom.txt


There is mixed evidence on the value of holding students back. There
is no way to insure equal performance for all students, and evidence
is that students who are held back do not really catch up anyways,
intensive remedial work during the summer does not do the job either.


My position is to inform the parents if the child has learned nothing
and is completely unprepared for the next year, and the school
believes that it is beneficial, repeating a year should be an option,
but parents should also be the ones to determine if the student
should be promoted.


In most cases, students do learn most of the material at some level,
though not at a mastery level, there is usually some duplication at
each grade, and if there is provision for remedial teaching, holding
students back should not be neccesary


What is absolutely, positively wrong is to give a "proficiency" exam
which typically sets a very high "standard" that flunks 30% to 80% of
the class since it is based on what some committed believes "all
children should be able to know and do" and pays absolutely no
attention to any data of what actual kids really do know and can do.


Test scores are useful for broadly ranking students, they are _not_
useful for establishing "expected" levels of performance since there
is no objective way to set such a level. Similar, such tests should
not be used to deprive students of diplomas. The role of a school is
to educate students as far as they want to go, their role is _not_ to
guarantee a high level of performance for all studnets, and eliminate
disparity in academic performance between students, which is a
natural consequence of diversity of various kinds.


Achievement should be its own reward. Students graduate with grades,
and maybe test scores that show how well they did, then they move on.
Grades should accomodate students of all ability levels, the weakest
students should be given remedial instruction which allows them to
keep pace at a basic level.






From:           	EEDtennis@aol.com
Date sent:      	Fri, 15 Jan 1999 08:22:54 EST
To:             	arthurhu@halcyon.com
Subject:        	Re: [ed-deform] Go Joe Zarelli!


> What is your position on social promotion?  for a class, I am writing a paper

> examing the policy of social promotion and I was hoping to receive some
> assistance for this group...