vision2020
Re: Moscow schools: social promotion
It is true that there is no policy on social promotion. By
state law and the district's contract with the teachers'
union, teachers have a pretty wide latitude in their
approach to grading, and thus, passing a student.
The district is in the process of aligning its curriculum
(meaning basically that the "flow" from one grade level of
instruction to the next in a given subject area will be as
seamless as possible) and also instituting assessment
measuring how well each student progresses during the
year (how much they learn and at what comparative
grade level they are operating).
Additionally the State is in the process of assembling what
may amount to a "graduation test" that students will have
to pass in order to obtain a diploma. Aside from the
problems and inequities that may cause, the combination
of all those events is that whatever occurred in the past is
different now and will likely be substantially different in
the near future.
As to whether a specific third-grade student who didn't
do well in third grade should be allowed to progress to
fourth, I would have to leave that discussion to a different
forum conducted by counselors, educational researchers,
and the child's parents. Education is not a one-size-fits-all
proposition. Simple rules vigorously applied do not
necessarily take the best care of each of our children.
Mike Curley
On 18 Mar 02, at 14:20, Robert Probasco wrote:
Date forwarded: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 11:20:33 -0800 (PST)
From: "Robert Probasco" <rcprobas@email.com>
To: curley@turbonet.com
Copies to: vision2020@moscow.com
Date sent: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 14:20:19 -0500
Subject: Moscow schools: social promotion
Forwarded by: vision2020@moscow.com
Mike Curley wrote:
> If someone would like to prepare a list of questions or
> "please explain these.."
----------------
Thanks for the offer, Mike. I'll limit myself to one
monumental question for the moment:
What is district policy on social promotion?
When I posed this query at a recent meeting, the response
seemed to indicate there *was* no policy, just a history of
not discussing it.
Since social promotion has wrecked havoc in public
schools
for decades (as Chicago and Los Angeles finally admitted
a
few years back), I would like to know how Moscow is
going to
resolve this regrettable activity.
Until this bedrock problem is corrected, I see little point
in pouring more fuel on the fire.
Bob Probasco rcprobas@email.com
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