RAISE THE BAR:

MEAP SUCCESS: Holding kids back seems to pay off (PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI, October 8, 2003, Detroit Free Press)

Poor MEAP test scores used to go hand-in-hand with poor students at Algonac's Pte. Tremble Elementary, where about one-fourth of the kids qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch. But four years ago, leaders in Algonac and Yale schools linked reading with passing. Kids in grades K-3 who weren't reading at grade level would flunk. And they meant all kids, including those in special education.

The idea sparked controversy and jitters among parents and teachers. T.J. Bucholz, until recently a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education, said he hadn't heard of another district with a similar plan.

When MEAP scores were released Friday, 95 percent of Pte. Tremble's fourth-graders met or beat the state's reading standards.

Four years ago, only slightly more than half of the school's fourth-graders met the state's standards. Officials in the two St. Clair County districts say the Michigan Educational Assessment Program test results justify their leap of faith. In both districts, 83 percent of fourth-graders met the state's expectations in reading, up from 55 percent in Algonac Community Schools and 65 percent in Yale Public Schools in 1999. They also came in ahead of the state average, 75 percent.

The theory was simple: All kids can learn, but some kids need a little more time. The districts' challenge was to make sure children got that time. Failing a school year isn't a good option, but being unable to read is worse, educators thought. [...]

School officials had to face down more than a few angry parents. Some even moved their children to other districts.

"We learned from the time of trials and tribulations," Darin said.

But slowly, parents were won over. Michael Schrader, 7, barely met the minimum first-grade reading requirements last spring. His teachers suggested summer school to help him begin second grade with more confidence.

His mother, Lisa Schrader, said her initial reaction was that her son wouldn't have much of a summer. But the former preschool teacher knew children can forget skills over the summer and agreed to send Michael.

"I'm absolutely glad we did it," Schrader said. "I can already see the difference this year. He seems more confident. He takes more risks in terms of reading things that are not familiar to him.

"I don't think parents want to be told your child is going to be retained, that's a hard thing to hear," Schrader said. "But you know as a parent, if your son or daughter is struggling, you want what's best for them." Risk pays off.

This is what President Bush meant by "the soft bigotry of low expectations".

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 29, 2003 07:24 AM