I recently followed a three-part series in the Arizona Daily Star about social promotion, grade-inflation, and the impact on our local economy. The newspaper examined, with one school district’s permission, the grades of more than 3 million middle- and high-school students over a six-year period. The investigation took 10 months and revealed that nearly a third of students who were promoted to the next grade had failed basic courses in English, math, science, or social studies. Said one middle school teacher, “We’ve buried ourselves in students who can’t function on grade level.”
A symptom of the problem is widespread grade inflation. The students’ failure rates on state tests were greater than the rate of students who failed corresponding classes in English and math. At one school for example, 9 percent of eighth-graders failed English courses last year. However, a whopping 59% failed the AIMS (Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards) reading test. The local community college sees the effect as thousands of students enroll in remedial classes every year. “They’ve graduated from high school” said the college’s spokesman, but “it wasn’t based on competency.” Ouch.
This does not bode well for Tucson. The quality of schooling drives a capable and educated work force. The perception of bad schools may keep away families that might have moved to Tucson for jobs. With a looming need to replace retiring engineers, employers in the high-tech and aerospace sectors are concerned. Other business leaders are seeing unprepared individuals applying for entry-level positions: One executive said he’s at his wit’s end trying to find basic office workers. “They’re just not hungry to do the job and do it right.”
I want to stress that most of the administrators and teachers are working hard and are committed to creating the best possible learning environment for the students. Studies indicate that retention rarely works (and can lead to a higher drop-out rate). The teachers are frustrated by lack of parental involvement, disciplinary and attendance problems, lack of funding for early intervention programs, and systemic pressure to pass the students. Parents are frustrated when their children slip through the cracks, and administrators are frustrated when asked to accomplish too much with too few resources.
Frustration is at an all-time high. I wonder how other educators, parents, and business leaders are handling the pressure.
Links:
Sunday, May 11 – Social Promotion
Monday, May 12 – Grade Inflation
Tuesday, May 13 – Economic Impact
This is a problem throughout the U.S. As an educator in an urban school district, I, too, feel a growing sense of frustration with parents, adminstrators, policy makers, and the system in general. We are not doing children a favor by "watering-down" the curriculum so that students can pass with a minimum of effort, nor are we benefitting society as a whole by simply moving students up the ranks who are not prepared academically or socially for the demanding and challenging jobs that are waiting for them.
I truly believe that all children CAN learn and will do so if given the correct circumstances in which to flourish. I wonder how many American educators TRULY believe that and let that philosophy guide their instruction and their attitudes.