Students in this situation fall further and further behind as they pass through our schools. In general, the Department of Public Instruction believes this goal to be worthy and laudable. However, we are concerned the new law presents some difficulties that may prevent it from solving the problems it seeks to address. Among the difficulties are the parent and district opt-out clauses, reliance on a single indicator to determine student retention, and failure to address remediation. Clearly, the public and educators alike aim to prevent academic deficits from accruing as students pass through the grades.
Prevention is always preferred to failure and remediation.
The best time to prevent the slippery slide toward failure is at the first sign a student is having difficulty. The most effective way to ensure that students make proper progress is to have clear expectations for their learning and to monitor progress continuously. They should not be allowed to fall so far behind that they are considered failures. If they do, it is the system that needs to be changed, not the students. In most cases, minimal performance at grade 4 represents academic deficiency that has been allowed to accrue for at least four years.