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'Social promotion' rears head with School Board
By ROBERT KING © St. Petersburg Times, published February 28, 2001 BROOKSVILLE -- The School Board is staring into a quagmire with shovel in hand. Its members can't agree how deep to dig, how long to dig or whether they should be digging at all. There is even disagreement over what to call the hole. Welcome to the annual spring debates on social promotion. In short, it is a discussion about whether some kids should be promoted to the next grade even though they have failing grades. The School Board opened up its 2001 debate on social promotion Tuesday, and the gnashing of teeth seen the past two springs quickly reappeared. Board members John Druzbick and Gail Coleman said the teachers, principals, psychologists and guidance counselors who recommended these "administrative placements" know what they are doing and should be trusted. Holding a child back, many educators agree, often dooms him to dropping out later. And with extra help, they say the child can catch up. Most other Florida school boards go with what their staffs say. But board members Jim Malcolm and Sandra Nicholson said state law requires the board to vote on these decisions. And if they are to vote, they want to know the facts for themselves. "We're asked (by the staff) to do this blindly," Nicholson said. The board's fifth member, Robert Wiggins, was absent Tuesday. In general, Malcolm, Wiggins and Nicholson have taken a dim view of social promotion. They say such free passes, handed out wildly, hurt high-achieving kids by forcing teachers to water down courses for those that struggle but are moved on anyway. "It happens routinely," Malcolm said. "I am uncomfortable with that." Malcolm said he has grown frustrated with Superintendent John Sanders and his staff for failing to clearly define what happens to kids after they are promoted despite failing grades. For two years, Malcolm said, he has tried in vain to get someone to show what new strategies are used to help the struggling kids. In those two years, Malcolm has threatened to vote against allowing any "social promotions" before giving in and supporting them. He made the threat again Tuesday. But at least this year he was shown a report on how 79 students performed after they were promoted despite their earlier failures. Two-thirds earned passing grades the following year. One-third had at least a C average. But their overall performance, according to an tabulation by the St. Petersburg Times, amounted to a 1.4 grade point average -- a low D. Unsatisfied with those results, Malcolm wants the board to go beyond what it is required to do by law -- that is reviewing the free passes given to fourth-graders, an age group specified for scrutiny by the Legislature. He proposes to review the passes given to all elementary school students -- an item that creates further division. One thing that drew broad agreement: No one wants to repeat last year's performance, when such reviews left dozens of kids in limbo over the summer, unclear as to whether they would be promoted.
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From today's Hernando Times |
