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MARCH 2004

Fields at Bank Street College Urges Mayor to Drop 3rd Grade Retention Plan

Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to drop a controversial plan to retain 3rd graders if they do not pass tests in reading and math. The meeting, which was held at Bank Street College of Education, centered around Fields' opposition to "social promotion," urging the mayor and education officials to revisit the plan and establish a panel of experts to explore ways to better address the issue.

"I am writing to urge you to withdraw your proposed plan to retain third grade students on the basis of a single standardized test score in reading and math," Fields wrote in a letter sent to Bloomberg. Fields held a forum recently on the topic, and the testimony delivered was overwhelmingly in opposition to the use of test results as the single criterion for advancement or retention. The reasons cited for opposition to the proposed policy were compelling and included the following points: Retention programs that have been unsuccessful in the past-several cities, including New York City, have experimented with programs similar to the one proposed and they have failed. Holding kids back does not raise student achievement and contributes to drop out rates.

Standardized tests are not designed to determine what a child knows. Studies have shown that tests can actually misrepresent a child's true abilities. A 1993 study found that a large portion of students who scored low on standardized tests read books at much higher levels and understand their reading far better than their tests indicated.

Retention programs blame students, not the school system–we should not be in the business of holding students back for the failure of teachers or schools. Research has shown that among those retained, a disproportionate number of them are people of color or come from low-income families or non-English speaking families.

"I am unequivocally opposed to social promotion and in agreement with Chancellor Klein that we must hold our school system accountable for actually educating children rather than simply passing them on to the next grade," Fields said. "However, there is little, if any, evidence to support that a promotion plan such as the one currently put forth will better educate our children."#

 

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