NCLB confusion and increased retention

["Lisa Guisbond" <lisa.guisbond@verizon.net>]

Below is an excerpt from a rather confusing article in a local Maine
paper that appears to be reporting on students being held back in 8th
grade and parents being told it is a result of NCLB. It's difficult for
me to tell from this how much of the confusion is on the part of the
Wiscasset school officials and how much is the reporter's, but I'm
wondering if people know of other instances where schools are increasing
retention and blaming it on NCLB.

 

Lisa Guisbond

 


Wiscasset Eighth Graders Graduation Impacted by New Federal Law


By Greg Foster



About 30 Wiscasset eighth graders may have thought they failed to
graduate after going through ceremonies recently, but educators
explained to parents Tuesday night that is simply not true. Actually
only two failed, according to Wiscasset Middle School Principal Linda
Bleile.

The new federal law known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has put
educators and families in a tail spin due to stiffer 2007 high school
graduation requirements that impact this year's eighth grade. That is
because it will be the first class to graduate under the new mandates.

As a result, local Wiscasset educators determined they would tackle one
or two lower learning assessments some students are having now at the
eighth grade level by offering optional summer school at a cost of $50
per child. To that end the middle school sent out letters to one-third
of the graduating eighth graders' homes. 

"I would rather have you angry at me now and have your child be more
successful in high school and have had that multiple opportunity," said
Bleile. 

She explained to parents, some of whom expressed anger at receiving
letters after the fact, the new law initiated by the Bush Administration
advises giving multiple opportunities to raise their assessments, during
the school year or otherwise. Bleile said the decision was to send
letters to students who were below the acceptable level in at least one
subject area and not meeting the benchmarks for the Maine Learning
Results.

Under the circumstances, trying to meet the new requirements on top of
working on bringing the school in compliance with the Maine Learning
Results has been a challenge, she said and apologized for the lateness
of the letters, which went out before the eighth grade graduation last
week.