The law required that any students who failed the tests receive intervention in fifth grade. The bar was set high to capture a lot of children for intervention in fifth grade. But then the state raised the stakes, tying the test to retention, which was not the original purpose, says Roger Trent, executive director of the office of school standards and assessments at the Ohio Board of Education. The state now is providing intervention in the earlier grades, including summer programs for teachers and students. This summer, the state is proposing training for 12,000 teachers.
Retention also is an issue in Louisiana.
The LEAP 21 results for 2000, just announced, show 21 percent of fourth graders failed in English language arts and 29 percent failed the math portion. School districts in Louisiana must provide a five-week summer school for all fourth graders who fail the LEAP 21 this spring. The students will be retested in July. We couldn't say being in the fourth grade the third time has any educational value. Copyright 2000, National School Boards Association.