Students sent back to middle school over missing grades

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 2:59 pm CDT, Monday, August 13, 2018

BESSEMER, Ala. (AP) — A dozen students in Alabama expecting to start high school last week are heading back to the eighth grade because the school system can't seem to find their grades.

Superintendent Dr. Keith A. Stewart said in a letter that the students were initially promoted to the ninth grade at Bessemer City High School. But the students were sent back to middle school.

WBRC-TV reports they had been enrolled in a program at Bessemer City Middle School, which was designed to help students who failed a grade catch up and graduate. In the program, students took seventh-grade classes part of the year and eighth-grade classes the rest of the year. But Stewart says there was no record of those students passing the eighth-grade classes.

Stewart says he had no choice but to hold them back because the school couldn't produce the needed grades for them.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Students-sent-back-to-middle-school-after-grade-13152486.php

---

(Short article, no more at link.)

[BumRushDaShow]

1. There's a longer story from their local tv station here

http://www.wbrc.com/story/38870111/what-did-we-teach-bessemer-supt-asks-after-mix-up-sends-several-hs-freshmen-back-to-middle-school

[Judi Lynn]

2. Wow. Thank you for providing needed information on this story, BumRushDaShow.

This is a hideous situation. Poor kids. Horrible.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Seems that program was missing some serious oversight

and now it's pretty much cancelled altogether.

[erronis]

5. And Bettie Duhvos couldn't even profit from this? The crime!

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Don't worry. I'm sure some private charter is looking into it.

[Racerdog1]

8. Living in Alabama

is a bad situation.

[cstanleytech]

20. " Poor kids. Horrible." Agreed but better to err on the side of caution because it

would be even more unfair to the kids to promote them to the next grade if they are not prepared for it as its an almost perfect recipe for failure.
I do wonder though if they could not have simply given them some tests on the curriculum they should have learned to avoid having to move them back down.

[exboyfil]

3. Can't they just give something

like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and if they come up to 7.5 or more, let them proceed to high school. At least in Iowa the grades through 8th grade are meaningless anyway - only the high school counts. If they can't do that level of work, then they should probably repeat 8th grade anyway.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. I remember taking those damn Iowa tests

here in Philly back in the early '70s. Back then it was very "rural" in terms of some of the subject matter questions and were eventually deemed ridiculous for us city kids and so that was replaced with the "CAT" (California Achievement Test)... And then that was eventually replaced with Pennsylvania's own Achievement test ("PAT", later called Pennsylvania System of School Assessment or "PSSA" ).

[LakeSuperiorView]

11. I think they refer to that in Masschusetts as a wicked PSSA...

[BumRushDaShow]

12. In MA, it would be a "wicked pisser" with the "r" (which is "bad"), which those tests probably are

if you ever heard my niece whine about them vs "wicked pissah" without the "r" (which is "good", which the PSSA wouldn't be according to my niece)

I know my MassTalk™ (went to college there )

[rsdsharp]

18. That's interesting

I'm from Iowa, and took the basic skills tests annually in the 1960s, until I got older and we then took the ITED (Iowa Test of Educational Development) until graduation from high school.

I don't recall any "rural" questions. Can you provide some examples?

By the way the Iowa Basic Skills Tests were the standard, because Iowa was number one in education in the country in the 1960s and 70s. And then came Branstad (or as he is often called in this state -- Braindead). We aren't close to number one anymore.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. We're talking almost 50 years ago

but it was something my parents railed about back then. I think examples appeared in some of the story narratives, after which the student is asked a question about the scenario and the child has to select one of the multiple choice answers. And the scenarios were including things that dealt with farms (e.g., types of cows vs other animals, etc) or stuff like tumbleweeds. I.e., the "scenarios" in the test questions were biased against children in urban areas. There is plenty written about "testing bias" (which continues to this day).

The urban reading curriculum in the '60s was filled with "Dick and Jane" type (and literal) books packed with stories about suburban children, etc., in a place where due to redlining, we were not allowed to live in -



Outrage finally ensued, and I just discovered how Dick and Jane went bye bye -

In the later 1950s and early 1960s, Dick and Jane found themselves in troubled waters. In 1955, Rudolf Flesch struck out against look-say readers in his bestseller, Why Johnny Can't Read. Flesch argued that the whole word method did not properly teach children how to read or to appreciate literature, because of its limited vocabulary and overly simplistic stories. Other phonics advocates in the 1960s echoed Flesch's arguments, calling for new primers that focused on phonics and introduced students to real literature.

An act of Congress helped phonics advocates end Dick and Jane's tenure in American school systems. In the mid-1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson called for better primary education especially for underprivileged students. The resulting Elementary and Secondary Education Act included money to help poor school districts buy supplemental materials for their students but with the restriction that these materials had to have subject matter appropriate for urban schoolchildren. Scott, Foresman's solution was to introduce a minority family into Dick and Jane's formerly all-white world: Mike, his sisters the twins Pam and Penny, and their parents.

Meanwhile, phonics proponents continued to lobby for a return to McGuffey's method. Scott, Foresman retired Dick and Jane in 1965.

<...>

By the late 1960s, Dick and Jane were gone - but they were by no means forgotten: critics continued to attack them. When phonics proponents squared off against whole word Gingerbread boy advocates, they used excerpts and pictures from Dick and Jane readers as bad examples. Multiculturalists pointed out the lack of minorities and the racial insensitivities of the Scott, Foresman series. Feminists spoke out against sex stereotypes in the Basic Readers. Retrospectively, Dick and Jane began to symbolize for many the inadequacies of the entire Cold War era.

https://rarebookschool.org/2005/exhibitions/dickandjane.shtml

I know my generation coming through the Philly schools ended up going through major upheaval transitions in learning, where we switched out of the "suburban/rural" books, started doing phonetics and the "SRA" series -



and brought in the "Bank Street Readers" -

(OMG ) -





This was also the time (late '60s) when "Sesame Street" came out as a counter to "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" and somewhat to "Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans". Sesame Street came on in 1969 (the son of the original "Gordon" Matt Robinson, was in one of my elementary school classes) and along with "Electric Company", we city kids finally saw people who looked like "us" in the "diverse" urban areas versus the almost "all white" suburbs.

Blast from the past -

[rsdsharp]

21. I would certainly agree with you as to the lack of racial and cultural diversity in media

in the 1960s, including scholastic materials.

However, I have no memory of any questions relating to types of cows in the Basic Skill tests. Nor would I, or most of my classmates in a small town in northeastern Iowa, have known the answer. We did have a few farm kids in our elementary classes which generally ran 35-36 students in those days, but they were distinctly in the minority.

I can assure you that there aren't, and never have been, tumbleweeds in Iowa.

[BumRushDaShow]

23. From that long ago

I would doubt you would have a memory of exact questions on these exams unless you are one of the few with an eidetic memory.

And I also expect there were different versions of these tests given (not unlike what happens with the SATs) so what you might have been given may not have been what I was given. Much of my primary education was done at a "Laboratory and Demonstration" school where we were often guinea pigs for these various "standardized" tests in the state.

[rsdsharp]

24. I don't have an eidetic memory

but I don't need one to know that I can't tell one breed of cow from another, or to know there is no sage brush tumbling across the plains of my state.

I concede the tests may have been different. I doubt, however, that your memory is appreciably better than mine as to exact questions.

I do know there are many who hear "Iowa," and think only of overalls and hay bales; a stereotype reinforced every caucus season. I have personally been asked if we have much trouble with the "Indians," and a client from New York was astonished when I told him my office was on the 21st floor. He apparently thought we lived and worked in sod huts.

[BumRushDaShow]

30. I doubt the decision had anything to do with "stereotypes"

and more to do with question bias at that time and how the scenarios were formulated. The Iowa was replaced with the California Achievement Test here and nowadays, the kids use Pennsylvania's "PSSA" (the content of which is about to be shortened next year as I understand).

[Mosby]

29. I missed a question on one of those tests

Because I had no idea what galoshes were.

My mom was pissed.

I grew up in Phoenix.

[BumRushDaShow]

31. An example of a "bias" issue would be something like this

Which one of these would you wear (and for young children just starting to read, it would be the pictures only without the words and the teacher would pronounce the word)? -

[alphafemale]

9. Promoting students who haven't mastered the skills is not a kindness.

Not to them and certainly not to society.

You want people that can't read their own Diploma?

[Mr.Bill]

10. If we don't promote them,

where will our future members of Congress come from?

[pazzyanne]

15. Sorry, but these kids worked for a full year on upgrading their skills.

When they are sent back to 8th grade because the school records are screwed up, that would be like you working for a full year in a supervisory position to be demoted because your supervisor lost you work performance reviews. There are other things that could be done to avoid these kids losing an entire year of work. If these kids can perform 8th grade work, they deserve to be promoted.

[alphafemale]

25. If they can actually spell "Promotion"

Maybe.

[pazzyanne]

27. I think my comment states clearly what I said.

"If these kids can perform 8th grade work, they deserve to be promoted."

[MichMan]

13. Don't their teachers have records of who passed and who didn't ?

[Haggis for Breakfast]

16. Why can't their parents verification suffice ?

Surely SOMEBODY'S parents can step up and vouch for them. It seems that the school is punishing these kids for their inability to maintain records.

Don't be surprised if some of these teens drop out. How would you feel if someone told you - after struggling to produce good grades and gaining some self-esteem for succeeding - that none of the hard work you did would matter ?

But then, this is Alabama we're talking about, where Lady Justice is blind, deaf, mute and totally prejudiced.

[pazzyanne]

28. Agree with everything you said.

When I was teaching 6th grade, we had a class of 138 kids of which 22 could not read/ comprehend at a 4th grade level and who had no adequate math skills. We called a meeting for the parents and the 22 kids who were in trouble. We expressed our concerns and offered a repeat of their 6th grade year where the emphasis would be on remedial reading and remedial math. They would actually be ahead of the class coming up as far as Science, Social Studies etc. The choice was to made by the kids and their parents. 20 of the kids and parents chose to repeat the grade. The whole year these kids were treated as adults who made a good choice for their future. Glad to say those kids went on to successfully complete their high school education. Maintaining their self respect is tantamount to their success. I cannot fathom the scenario in this Alabama school.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

14. I sub at a middle school.

I'd have a breakdown if some of those little bastards were bounced back from high school. And I know exactly which boys (no girls) I'd get to see again. Augh!

[dembotoz]

17. can you imagine having a class full of kids who got ripped off and had to repeat????

it would not be a welcome back kotter experience .....

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

22. I live in an area where kids are being raised by grandparents because their parents

are drug addicts, alcoholics, in jail, or otherwise not there for their children. We live in a relatively poor area in the high desert north of Palm Springs, and the children face on a daily basis obstacles I never had to face during my childhood. Some kids have one parent (usually a mom) who's doing the best they can, but they work two jobs to keep their family alive. In other cases, the student gets up early, fixes their own breakfast -- and sometimes those of their younger siblings -- and catches the bus, all without the parent waking up to see them off.

I once had an boy in fifth grade tell me matter-of-factly, "My mom's getting out of jail next month." Another girl -- an eighth grader -- saidshe was going to live on the streets after she graduated from high school. Eighth grade, and her spirit has been broken. It broke my heart.

All the teachers are doing the best they can, but the burn out rate is high --some teachers last only 2-3 years before leaving. It's hard to teach kids who take pride in their ignorance, with some being outright defiant and of the number of times they've been sent to detention. I try to help those who want to learn, and put forward the message that they can achieve their dreams, but a lot of my energy is spent keeping the classroom under control. That's especially true with the sixth and eight graders. I'm always exhausted when I get home -- especially after teaching at the middle school, where I'll teach 6 classes with 30 kids each -- 180 total -- during the day. It's hard, and I'm afraid I'm going to burn out as well. The principals have told me they're glad I'm there so the students have a male influence in their lives, though, and for some reason that motivates me. I try to maintain a casual atmosphere while letting them know I'm not their friend. So many of the middle school teachers want to be liked by their students, and let them run roughshod over them. When I'm there, the most common complaint is, "But Mr. Smith lets us do it!" "Well, I'm not Mr. Smith, and today you are in my class and you'll follow my rules." I'm firm but consistent, especially with middle schoolers, and after a few classes they know that I am the adult in the class, and they buckle down and do their work.

I love kindys through fifth grade, and sign up for every special education slot that shows up.

It wouldn't rip the kids off to be held back a grade. These kids are already getting ripped off.

[alphafemale]

26. Have you had at least a few you managed to pull out of that swamp?

I can't imagine not saving a random thinker every so often.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

34. I'm a substitute teacher, so my interaction with the students is limited.

What I try to do is encourage students and tell them they are worth their dreams. And I don't treat them as "less than" because they are kids.

In the middle school, if I'm co-teaching (or have a instructional aide -- my wife is an IA and we often are assigned to the same class, which the students love) and a student is acting up, where a "real" teacher would just send them to detention I'll take them outside. First I'll stand there silently for about three minutes, which drives them crazy. Then I'll ask if they are willing to accept some input. If they agree, which they usually do because their defenses are no longer up, I'll explain why I brought them outside -- often because they're disrupting the class by being noisy or walking around, especially in front of the teacher when he's talking.

I'll tell them, "My guess is you're smart, and you're bored." That surprises them, because it's probably the first time someone's told them they're smart. They generally nod their heads. I'll tell them that what they're learning (say, the rule of an Egyptian caliphate) isn't as important as the process of learning it. The facts will probably never be used as an adult, but learning how to analyze the problem and arrive at a solution is something they'll use for the rest of their lives.

"Do you think now like you did as a fourth grader?" "No." "That's right. And when you're a senior in high school you'll think differently than you do now. That's because you are learning to think." I'll explain that their brains are being physically rewired every time they try to solve a problem, or learn a new fact. Believe it or not, they find this interesting -- something they'd never heard before.

Then I'll ask then what they want to be when they grow up, and no matter what it is I will tell them it's totally possible, but they'll need to work along the way, and paying attention in class moves them one step further toward their goal. I'll tell them I had seen the lesson, and it was a good one. The teacher must have stayed up late working on it.

I'll wait a couple of beats to let it all sink in, and then ask, "Are you ready to go back in?" "Yes." "Okay, let's go." And then I find the door had locked behind us when we went outside (that only happened once). I will never raise my voice or tell them they are bad. I will never threaten them with detention.

If you're thinking it takes up a lot of class time, it does. But my thought is they weren't learning anything anyway, and they were keeping the other students from paying attention. Also, it allows the teacher to teach without distraction. Maybe if I can get a student to look at himself or herself differently, and tell themselves they are good, and they are smart, and they are worth their dreams, I can make some small difference in their lives.

I figure that's the best I can do for the brief time I come into their lives.

As far as the elementary kids go, it's a lot like herding cats -- or kittens, if they're kindys. My main purpose is to keep them on task, and make sure they get to recess and lunch and their buses on time. Often at the end of the day a class -- especially the younger ones -- will ask, "Were we good?" I tell them that first of all, they are all good kids (which is true), but let's look at what worked and didn't work today. I'll draw four lines on the board and label them "On task," "Behavior," "Respected the teacher," and "Had Fun." I'll put a zero on one end and a 10 on the other, and ask the class as a whole to tell me where to put a mark. It doesn't take much time to reach a consensus. Then I'll move their behavior mark closer to 10 and tell them they're being hard on themselves -- they were behaving just like fourth graders, or whatever grade it was. I'll tell them I thought they were a good class (except for Mr. Callum's sixth grade class, which I subbed for four times, and never got a handle on it no matter what I tried) and I had a lot of fun, and I hope I get to sub for them again. Then we get packed up and leave.

The point I'm making is this: I believe in a concept called "trim tab," where a small correction early on can make a huge difference down the road. Even though I'm in their lives a brief time, hopefully something that I said or did that day will have planted a seed ("I'm smart." "I'm good." "I can be what I want to be." ) in a student's mind, and even though 20 years later they don't remember me, they will be in a more positive place than they would have been had I not come into their lives.

Or I could be bullshitting myself.

I have told the seventh graders I don't get paid to be a sub -- I pay the school $20 to come and torment them. They're not sure whether or not I'm serious. I've learned other subs have said something similar...

[Cold War Spook]

32. I grew up in the 40s and 50s in MA.

We did not have any tests in grades 1-6. In grades 7-12, each teacher made up his/her tests including finals.

[BumRushDaShow]

33. It was because you were taught

"Readin', writin', 'rithmetic" and much of it was done by pure memorization.

Then for some reason, someone decided that "drills" (whether math times tables or learning to sight read) were were not enough because of a belief that a child could not "think" unless you introduced all sorts of experimental concepts to spur "thinking" (that would have already come naturally just from living). So off the schools went into "open classrooms", "new math", "phonetics", and other stuff like that.