District and union note mistakes. Cincinnati K-8s show improvement Data on attendance, suspensions and tests. Biddulph Avenue was bloated with 9th-graders who had been retained. Half of 600 freshmen were repeaters. The academy doubled the time students spend in math and English classes to 80-minute blocks.
Students take science year-round, history for one semester and an elective for the other.
In addition, the program teaches the study, research and social skills needed to succeed in high school, says Principal Kathleen M. Freilino. The remainder may move up after summer school, she says. Rhodes also launched the Re-Entry Program to help promote to 11th grade freshmen who had been retained more than once. In 9th-grade, retention rates soar due to failed courses that prevent students from advancing to sophomore status. S.C. At these critical stages, teachers, report cards and, in some states, standardized test scores determine whether or not students move to the next grade, Madden says.