Most students promoted despite CRCT failure
By Elizabeth Cady / RN-T
Wednesday August 20, 2008 12:22:17pm


A majority of Rome City and Floyd County students who failed the state mandated Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests in what are called the gateway grades were still promoted on to the next level.

Students in third, fifth and eighth grades must pass portions of the CRCT exams to move on to the next grade.

Third-grade students must pass the reading part of the exam. Fifth- and eighth-graders must pass reading and math portions.

Certain steps may allow a third-, fifth- or eighth-grader who failed the CRCT to still move up, including a retest, going to summer school or appearing before an appeals panel.

In Rome and Floyd County during the last school year, 917 students in grades third, fifth and eighth failed the CRCT. Of those, 836 were eventually promoted, 399 because they passed on retest, and the remaining 537 were promoted either because they went to summer school or had extenuating circumstances, school officials said.

“We look at a lot of other things relative to a student’s performance in making the promotion or retention decision,” said Floyd County Schools Superintendent Lynn Plunkett. “The decision is made in the best interest of the student. Sometimes it’s to retain them, and sometimes it is to promote.”

Summer school and a CRCT retest are offered to students who are faced with being retained. “The remarkable thing is that the kids who went to summer school pretty much cut in half the number who had to be retained,” said Rome City Schools Superintendent Gayland Cooper.

Students who did not pass the retest but went to summer school and had solid grades during the school year may, as a last resort, appeal to be promoted. The appeal process must be triggered by the parents or guardians of the student.

“A group is pulled together that looks at not just the test,” said Tim Hensley, assistant to the Floyd County superintendent. “Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that are a reason why students didn’t do well on the exams.”

The appeal group consists of the principal, the students’ parent or guardian and the teacher of the subject that the student failed.

“Each one has a vote after they’ve looked over the information,” said Jeff McDaniel, executive director of school improvement for Floyd County. “If it’s a unanimous vote the child is promoted.”

The appeal process takes several weeks.

“It is a very complicated process that takes a lot of consideration,” said Plunkett. “You have to look at the student individually, at where their strengths and weaknesses are.”


[permalink]
Post a comment: You must be logged in order to comment.

 
Flip
Comments: 30
Joined: 10/30/2008
11/12/2008 06:56:06 PM
CSS4,

100% correct; too much about politics than it is about what is best for kids. Kids really want to be held to a high standard and they want adults to display the behavior that they should desire to emulate. Too many board members that have their own agenda instead of lets do what is right for all kids; which can include discipline that means something. Until we can get back to that type of school system for kids we will struggle as a society to get back to leading the world in education and in influence. God help us to return to greatness.
 
thepast
Comments: 3
Joined: 09/10/2008
09/11/2008 07:55:12 AM
GREAT points CSS4.
While there are definately many children in our system that have special needs...... there is a major problem with social promotion of children that are not "special needs". Many times educators are faced with children that they do not want to have to deal with again by holding that child back. On the other hand, schools are faced with "hidden mandates" concerning their passing rates.
I read where one school in this county had children which failed the CRCT, the same children were given the opportunity to go to summer school and retake the test (some attended and some DID NOT), the failure rate on the CRCT retake gave roughly the same results....HOWEVER, this school promoted 96% of the students anyways....regardless of whether or not they attended summer school or not.
As far as the graduation rate: as long as the graduation test is dumb down to ensure adequate passing rates, Georgia will never have a problem. Georgia does not challenge it's children. Our particular county is more satisfied with saying, "we're among the best in Georgia" instead of where do we rank in the United States.
I believe we have MANY teachers that do a great job and they try their hardest. I have educators in my family and which are friends. I hear the stories they endure in the classroom and from school administrators to the central office and school board.
Just as you mentioned, at some point we have to stop social promotion. Take a look at other countries that have bypassed our educational system. Their children are learning by leaps and bounds over ours. Yet, our county (state) gets upset over poor CRCT scores; the state has system wide scores thrown out or reduced, yet the students are not afforded the same "convenience". This is all part of a game to improve Georgia's standings in the national rankings.

I'm rambling..... but, it irritates me how our school system consistently pushes how superior we are, yet they never mention what the "areas of improvement" may be/could be.
 
CSS4Comm4
Comments: 160
Joined: 10/09/2006
09/10/2008 10:56:27 PM
If you REALLY want your graduation rates, test scores, student achievement, and student preparedness to improve, then the general public voters are going to have to demand that kids be held back in grades where they are not ready to be promoted. We have way too many liberal-minded special education cronies who step in and stop kids from being held back. They don't want to "damage their self-esteem" by holding them back when they are not ready to go to the next grade. My question is what are they doing to their self-esteem when they place them in a classroom where everyone else is prepared and knows what is going on and they are totally lost? They argue that we should label them as "Special Education" students, place them in the next grade, complete lots of IEP (CYA) paperwork, and get a bunch of Federal Tax Dollars to hire another teacher to be in the classroom to help that student and about 6 to 10 others catch up while doing work they have no clue how to do because they are a year behind already.

Someone explained it to me this way: if you were struggling in a Beginning Russian Language class for about 6 weeks, then suddenly got promoted to a third year Advanced Russian Language class, how well would you do? If you were not interested in it anyway, you would probably shut down or drop out. How well would you do on the final test? And, how well would you communicate with folks in Moscow?

Folks, that's exactly what we are doing to our kids and we are letting out-of-touch politicians make the call!

Now, do we want a 15-year-old still in Elementary School? Of course not! But, an alternative school placement, like the PLC, would be a great place for a kid to be taught in a smaller setting until they are caught up and ready to be placed back into the mainstream classroom.

The bottom line is that no child should be allowed to leave Primary School until they can read and comprehend what they read. Then, no child should be allowed to leave Elementary School until they can add, subtract, multiply through 12's, and divide. They can't learn middle school algebra until they have mastered those functions anyway.

The problem lies with teachers who kiss up to parents and administrators, administrators who kiss up to parents and school boards, and school boards who kiss up to voters/parents and state and federal officials for the tax dollars all while the kids are being "LEFT BEHIND!" Unfortunately, the public/parents/voters are the ones who will ultimately have to make the necessary changes.

Best of luck !!!
 
thepast
Comments: 3
Joined: 09/10/2008
09/10/2008 07:51:07 PM
Why are the SAT scores being made so public, however the ACT score (which were aweful) are being kept quiet? The nation stated the same from 07-08.... the state dropped a few points...however, Floyd County slipped 17 points.

Great quote from Juga:
"it is not going to change until we all PARENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETY work together and do our part".

There are too many individual agendas in our local government.

The drop-out rate is horrindous in this area due to industries that do not require a skill or trade... it is on the job training. The businesses stay for a decade or so and then move on. What are our government and school system going to do to prepare children that do not have plans past high school?

I'd like to know how the expenditure for each child in our school system breaks down from regular classroom teachers, compensation of other instructional staff, spending on facilities, spending on transportation and spending on all other functions.

There is a good article in the RNT concerning School Boards (just hit the online version). I believe our Board is doing many of these things, but I'm not concerned with how we are doing in Georgia. How are we doing verses the Nation?
 
juga
Comments: 304
Joined: 02/05/2007
08/25/2008 11:34:31 AM
It is so nice to hear that others are seeing the "light" when it comes to accountability for teachers. I admit there are teachers who do not do their job. That is in any profession. Our administrators, superintendents, etc have been pressured to raise test scores. Part of that is for the well being of our children, but most of it is for funding. If school systems continue to fail, the state will cut funding. The opinions of the community and parent become negative and basically we all fall. When this happens the government gets involved and has a plan. The ones who have never been in a classroom and perhaps not even educated themselves begin to listen to those who want to sell a new product and buy into it. We then have a new program and it is suppose to work with 100% effectiveness. Years later some other politician wants to name as the "educator" has a buddy that is selling a product and buys into it. We now have another program. The pattern repeats itself. While all of this is going on, our children are being raised by parents who have developed an opinion of education. This opinion carries over to the grandchildren,etc.The cycle continues with same attitudes. The ones that want to learn, learn. If they can't learn, some of them have parents who know what to do with the problem and seek help. Some who can't learn, parents don't know what to do. Some who can't learn have parents who don't put an emphasis on education so therefore, it isn't important in the home. No matter how many programs are developed, governors who claim to be the education governor, or school of excellence awards given, the cycle is not going to change until we reach those who view education as a negative; it is not going to change until we stop blaming teachers and school systems for children not learning; it is not going to change until we all PARENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETY work together and do our part.
 
imaginetruth
Comments: 74
Joined: 07/20/2008
08/25/2008 12:22:00 AM
Nope, CSS4. you're not the only one who sees the problem. I see exactly what you mean. I also have a problem with holding teachers accountable for poor student performance regardless of the background of the students. For instance, you have a school on the poor side of town, where most students come from generation after generation of families who view education as a low priority vs a school where most students come from wealthy, educated families who start exposing their children to opportunities for learning at an early age. It's likely that a larger percentage of the kids who came to school unprepared will not do well. I believe you could completely exchange the teachers and still get the same results. It's not the teacher's fault.

 
CSS4Comm4
Comments: 160
Joined: 10/09/2006
08/24/2008 06:36:24 PM
In every college education class, the professors argue against "teaching toward the test." Then, you have some low-performing politician, who has never taught in a classroom, come along and develope a new catch phrase that sounds good, like "No Child Left Behind," which puts extensive undue burdens on the classroom teacher and restricts her talents she has devoted her life to learning and using.

Then, when students don't put forth the effort to pass their classes nor the CRCT, they are placed on into the next grade because there are always some "extenuating circumstances" that caused them to do poorly. It's never their fault. It's never their poor attitudes. It's never lack of parental support. It's never the fact that they're simply not ready to move on to the next level. It's always someone else's fault.

So, let's hold a meeting with the parent, whom the principal doesn't want to offend, because they might go to the school board; the principal, by whom the teacher is intimidated to not disagree, because her contract is on the line; and the teacher. So, basically, if the parent wants the unprepared student to go on to the next grade, they go.

Then, when and if that student somehow finishes high school, or if they drop out, the school system is held accountable. The drop out rate is splattered all over the newspapers and television. Potential employers and/or college entrance officials question the effectiveness of the local school system. And, the teachers and school system may be considered to be "below standard."

Then, these same politicians come back and want to offer vouchers so the students at these "below standard" schools can choose to go to a private school.

Am I the only one who sees a problem with this system?

<< < Prev - Next > >>