That can only mean bad news. The board also has decided to retest retained students in January and to promote immediately those who get passing scores, thereby leapfrogging them over the first half of the next grade's curriculum. Many of the successful students will have to reorient themselves with new teachers, new classmates and new routines. Then, within three months, they'll take the next level of those all-important tests. There's gotta be a better way.
Chances are, teachers and principals know a few.
What Matters Most series, Shari Frost, who teaches 1st grade at Norwood Park Elementary School and reading courses in college, suggests assigning teachers with the best background in reading to 1st grade, where the foundation is laid. That shortcoming begs for professional development and support for teachers, not simply more time in school for children. To the School Board's credit, it is going along with a comprehensive study of its promotion program by the Consortium on Chicago School Research, which will look into classroom practices as well as the statistics. Ideas should be sought from the classroom level, too. At the high school level, school officials once again have adopted a major change in promotion criteria after having talked only among themselves.