8th Grade - - Pass or Fail

Much has been written about standards, high-stake testing, values, remedial programs, no child left behind, etc. Applying the information in a meaningful manner is the hard part. I submit - If a student is not ready for high school they should not be there. They hold the others back, and most of the time, are the ones who drop out.

Our duty, as parents, teachers, or citizens, should be to set the 8th Grade graduation standards - those that all 8th graders should have mastered. (read and comprehend at 8.5 or higher, earned 80% or better on pre-algebra class or passed algebra, passed on a pass/fail course - life skills course to include info about taxes, insurance, housing, nutrition, and some in-depth career exploration and planning, and mastered a list of history, geography, science, etc. concepts that should be understood by 8th graders, and developed skills in research and testing)

If we know the goals, and if we have testing in place, we should be able to get them to the goals - and even past them. The responsibility should be 50% the school, 25% the parent, and 25% the student.

I know that most middle school/ Jr. High kids, if they realize that they will not get to go with their friends, will work their tails off to pass. I am not saying a student who does not pass the program should always fail. I am saying they may have to go to summer school, work in after-school remedial classes, or be assigned to alternative school until they can catch up - what ever it takes.

Most students should be able to stay on track to meet the standards. Those who are behind in any area should be provided an assessment and given a "IEP" involving their parents which can make the child’s progress a team effort.

Students respond to expectations. They must have help when needed. And if the standards are reasonable, not dumbed down, the high school experience will be more pleasant for the students and the teachers. The students will be prepared and the HS teachers will not have to dumb the classes down and/or will be able to cover much more material, thus making the educational system more efficient.

Parent Comments on "8th Grade - - Pass or Fail"

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lisadell, what have the PARENTS done to ensure their childrens' success? Have they sat down with the teachers, counselors and their children to work out an academic plan? How do they enforce homework in their home? How do they ensure that the homework is getting done and turned in? Do they believe their children when they say, "We don't have any homework?" Do they check behind them? Do you know any of this information before you throw out a generalized statement like that? Do you know what the teachers and counselors have actually done to try to help these kids? Or are you just taking the kids' words for it? I think you should know the facts of both sides before you become so judgmental.

"If we know the goals, and if we have testing in place, we should be able to get them to the goals - and even past them. The responsibility should be 50% the school, 25% the parent, and 25% the student."

NO, I am a teacher, and I know that everyday, I give 100% to genuinely teach my students what they need to know to be successful on tests and in class. However, I cannot agree with you that the student and the parent should only have 25% responsibility each! One's education is one's own responsibility! I cannot make a child learn if he or she doesn't want to, isn't interested, is apathetic, etc. Also, parents should take a 100% interest in their children's educational careers. How is the school responsible for 50% when 'the school' simply cannot overcompensate for some of the issues with students today? Many students come from homes where education is NOT valued and the parents try to undermine everything a teacher does-- especially if the student finds it challenging or doesn't see the worth in it. The student should always be 100% responsible for his own education. I think everyone should take 100% responsibility. Breaking it down like that is ludicrous.

Majestic, I agree. Do you know who sets the course objectives? Is the test a valid test - actually testing the objectives? Do the objectives have rigor or are they the minimum standards. Does your teacher staff have the opportunity to add to the course objectives? If the test is well made and if the objectives are rigorous - not all students will pass. If all students pass, I would think the standards were too low and probably a waste of time for many of the students. For the students who do not pass we agree that they NEED help, from the school and from their parents to get the support so they can master the material.

When teachers teach the curriculum that they are assigned, the students learn it and then are tested at the end of the school year using testing material that was not covered all year. Such as in Georgia and many other states, its unfair to the students and faculty and parents who invested so much time. Moreso, the students who have to repeat the course or attend summer school to retake the test at cost upwards of 200.00 a subject.

We're all forgetting something here. WE are their parents, it is up to us to guide them, and we shouldn't expect our schools to do it for us. No teen is ready for high school. We have to be the strong arms and walk them through it day by day. Show our support, and give them the love they need. Let them know we believe in them, and they will coast through. No child goes into a new area of life unshaken. Remember kindergarten? Middle school? They weren't ready for that either, but they made it through, with our help.
We cant blame others who lag for our children's own downfall. We cant blame the school either, what we can do it observe the problem, then handle it as it needs to be handled.

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Related keywords: pass/fail, mastery level, iep, 8th grade graduation, reform, high-stake, standards

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8th Grade - - Pass or Fail

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Related keywords: pass/fail, mastery level, iep, 8th grade graduation, reform, high-stake, standards

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