Crowded Summer Schools

“It was somewhat exciting,” he says. “It’s
one of those things that you know is gonna happen.”

But a high school diploma is no longer a guarantee. In exchange
for his, Davis had to pass an exit exam, a controversial test
now required in 28 states.

“I think it’s horrible,” 14-year old Ashley
says. “I think we should graduate with our credits and
leave.”

Marcus, 18, agrees: “I think it’s pointless because
why base your entire high school career on one stupid test.”

It’s not just high graduation at stake. Today, many
students must pass a test to advance to the next grade. If
they fail, they go to summer school.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Maria
says. “I don’t think [promotion] should be based
upon the test or the grade that you get on the test. I think
it should be based upon the class and how hard you’ve
worked during the whole semester.”

“I really don’t think it’s fair that you
can judge somebody’s intelligence on just one test,”
says Anna, who is attending summer school this year.

Experts say this is a new era for students. From elementary
school to the end of high school, students and schools will
be held accountable through the use of standardized tests.

“It’s a wake-up call for those of us in this
nation who understand the requirements of education and the
workforce and what these kids are going to be expected to
do,” says Stan Williams, president of the Atlanta Committee
for Public Education.

Williams says it also sends a strong message to parents who
now may have to help make sure their children are ready for
these tests.

“All of us have to take some responsibility to work
with those young people to try to make sure that they understand
and embrace the whole idea of testing and are willing to prepare
themselves to pass those tests,” Williams says.

For some kids, that means tutoring or summer school or even
special projects assigned by parents at home – anything
– to help kids move from one level to the next.

Melanie, who attends high school, says holding kids accountable
is good.

“I think that it’s good that they are testing
you on the things you learned in high school, not just saying,
‘Ah, well you learned it, goodbye,’” she
says.

The National Association
of School Psychologists estimates that 15% of American students
are held back each year, and 30-50% of U.S. students are retained
at least once before ninth grade. And the failure rate continues
to grow as more and more states begin requiring students to
pass high school exit exams in order to earn a diploma. Consider
these recent problems associated with student exit exams reported
by Education Week:

• California’s board of education may postpone a requirement
  that students in the class of 2004 pass an exit test, after
  a new study suggested at least a fifth of them – and
  much higher proportions of their classmates with disabilities
  or limited English skills – would not graduate if
  the deadline went unchanged.
• In Massachusetts, where this year’s seniors must
  pass the English and math portions of a state test to get
  diplomas, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved
  a measure last week that would let some students in special
  education earn diplomas even if they fail the exam.
• In Florida, where more than 13,000 seniors may not qualify
  for standard diplomas this spring because of their scores
  on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, a bill awaiting
  the governor’s signature could permit students to
  use scores from other exams in lieu of the FCAT, starting
  with the class of 2004. State law already waives the requirement
  for some students with disabilities.

The National Governors Association reports that 25 states
currently require students to pass a high school exit or competency
examination. All of the states with this type of exam allow
students to retake the test multiple times. In some states,
the opportunity to retake the test extends after the graduation
date.

It is important for both parents and educators
to be able to recognize the common characteristics of adolescents
at risk of school failure. The Educational Resources Information
Center cites the following characteristics to look for in
your child:

• Attention problems: Your
  child has a history of attention issues at school.
• Poor grades: Your child
  consistently performs at barely average or below average
  levels.
• Retentions: Your child has
  been retained in one or more grade levels.
• Absenteeism: Your child
  is absent five or more days per term.
• Lack of connection with school
  and community activities: Your child is not involved
  in sports, music, scouting or other extracurricular activities.
• Behavior problems: Your
  child may be disciplined frequently in school or may show
  a sudden change in school behavior, such as withdrawing
  from classroom discussions.
• Lack of confidence: Your
  child believes that success is linked to natural intelligence
  rather than to hard work and that his or her own ability
  is insufficient and cannot be changed or improved.
• Limited goals for the future:
  Your child seems unaware of what career options are available
  or of how to attain those goals.

If your child is having academic difficulty, the U.S. Department
of Education says that you can assist him or her in the following
ways:

• Make the time to listen to and try to understand your
  child’s fears or concerns.
• Set appropriate boundaries for behavior that are consistently
  enforced.
• Encourage your child to participate in one or more school
  activities.
• Attend school functions, sports and plays.
• Meet as a team, including yourself, teachers and school
  counselor, asking how you can support your child’s
  learning environment.
• Arrange tutoring or study group support for your child
  from the school or the community through organizations like
  the local YMCA or a local college or university.
• Provide a supportive home and school environment that
  clearly values education.
• Help your child think about career options by arranging
  for visits to local companies and colleges, picking up information
  on careers and courses and encouraging an internship or
  career-oriented part-time job.
• Emphasize at home and in school the importance of study
  skills, hard work and follow-through.

When students are self-confident and believe that they are
capable of learning, they have taken a crucial first step
toward school success. You can cultivate school confidence
by helping your child view himself of herself as an able learner.
Education researchers at the Northwest Regional Educational
Laboratory suggest the following strategies for helping your
child achieve academic success:

• Focus on the positive. Know
  your child’s ability levels and preferred learning
  styles. School success comes easily for some students, but
  for others schoolwork is tougher. When kids are encouraged
  to compete for grades with siblings or classmates, someone
  is always going to be the loser. Sometimes this is all it
  takes for a student to give up. Whenever possible, work
  with each child one-on-one to enhance your knowledge of
  individual ability levels and interests.
• Set realistic and specific goals.
  Help your child take small steps toward doing better
  in school. Work together to create a plan for improvement,
  and help your child see all of the little steps involved
  in achieving a goal. Or find a long-term project that you
  and your child can work on together. Along the way, point
  out your child’s step-by-step accomplishments and
  celebrate all the small successes!
• Get feedback from teachers.
  Your child’s teacher should be able to suggest ways
  you can help your child with schoolwork at home. Don’t
  hesitate to ask for time to discuss all aspects of your
  child’s school performance, and don’t be afraid
  to speak frankly to teachers. Some problems are complex
  and may require time and a specific strategy before improvements
  will occur. Parents and teachers should be partners in assuring
  student success.
• Teach your child that mistakes
  are a natural part of learning. Children sometimes
  need to be reminded that it is OK to make mistakes. Make
  sure your child understands that without making mistakes,
  we cannot learn and grow. Tell stories about your own misconceptions
  or errors to help your child see that even parents aren’t
  perfect. Children also benefit from hearing you solve problems
  out loud. Let your child hear you talk to yourself as you
  figure out the best way to handle different situations.
• Offer encouragement for improvement.
  When children work hard to complete an assignment, they
  deserve reinforcement for the effort, especially when it
  is an improvement over a past effort. Be specific when giving
  praise. For example, “I can see that you are including
  more detail in your stories” is more meaningful than
  “I like your story.”

Atlanta
Committee for Public Education
Education
Week
Educational
Resources Information Center
National
Association of School Psychologists
National Governors
Association
Northwest
Regional Educational Laboratory
U.S. Department of Education