Eight Graders Who Fail Will Be Held Back In The San Diego Schools
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Eighth Graders Facing Retention in San Diego Schools
Summary:
In the largest school district in the state, San Diego schools report that nearly 13% of eighth graders failed two or more core subjects last year. These failures all received an F, not considering D grades. To address this issue, a new retention policy has been implemented.Article:
San Diego schools, the state's largest district, are implementing a new policy to address academic failures among eighth graders. Last year, almost 13% of these students failed in two or more core subjects, including English, mathematics, history, and science.The new policy, approved by a four-to-one vote by the San Diego schools board, mandates that eighth graders who receive F grades in two or more core subjects will be held back to repeat the grade. However, if parents disagree, students can advance to high school but must enroll in a ninth-grade intervention program.
The decision followed intense debate over retention versus social promotion?"allowing students to move to the next grade without adequate preparation. Board trustee Shelia Jackson cast the dissenting vote, advocating for addressing the root causes of failure instead of penalizing the students. She emphasized that teachers, parents, and counselors share responsibility, not just the students alone.
Some board members argued retention might motivate failing students to improve, while Jackson raised concerns about punishing students for potential teaching inadequacies.
There was unanimous agreement among trustees that intervention programs should start early, even in elementary school, to ensure long-term student success.
The specific intervention programs for students who are held back or who proceed to ninth grade with parental approval were not defined by the board. Schools will have the flexibility to tailor these programs to meet student needs.
Retention is a common method across the nation to support struggling students, and it has been used previously in San Diego schools. For example, in 2001, nearly 5% of sixth and seventh graders and about 3% of first graders were retained.
Superintendent Carl Cohn shares Jackson's concerns, questioning if the new retention policy might cause more harm than good. He cited studies indicating that students who are held back are more likely to drop out, suggesting that retention could worsen dropout rates.
In light of these concerns, the focus moving forward will be on balancing accountability with supportive intervention strategies to ensure students succeed academically without unintended negative consequences.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Eight Graders Who Fail Will Be Held Back In The San Diego Schools.
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