HISD may promote failing students to cut dropouts

The Houston Chronicle ^ | April 7, 2004 | JASON SPENCER, JO ANN ZUÑIGA

[af_vet_rr]

HISD may promote failing students to cut dropouts By JASON SPENCER and JO ANN ZUÑIGA Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Houston high school students who've failed core subjects such as English or math would get to move on to the next grade under a proposal HISD trustees are considering as part of the district's effort to reduce its dropout rate.

Dropping the core course requirement puts the Houston Independent School District at odds with other Harris County school systems and urban Texas districts, including one that says it is addressing its dropout problems in other ways.

Promoting students who meet HISD's minimum amount of credits will encourage them to stay in school, said district Superintendent Kaye Stripling.

"A student sitting in the ninth grade at age 17 is a kid who is going to say, `Forget this, I'm dropping out,' " Stripling said in a news release. "What we need to do is give that child a chance to earn promotion to the next grade while at the same time we give that student extra academic help to pass the class he failed."

Administrators said students will still have to earn their diplomas.

"This is not social promotion," said Abe Saavedra, HISD's executive deputy superintendent, referring to the practice of moving students from one grade to the next when they have not acquired adequate skills.

[af_vet_rr]

Okay, it's not "social promotion" (i.e. not having acquired adequate skills), and yet it's moving up based on credits, regardless of what those credits are.

sheesh

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[mtbopfuyn]

Isn't that speshial speschle spishle

Yo, word.

[Paleo Conservative]

The whole notion of grade levels is obsolete. It is a hold over from the factory model of schooling. In this system kids are very strictly segregated by age. Smart kids could easily finish high school in three years or less and save school districts lots of money.

[rockprof]

It is too social promotion, no matter what they are saying.

[Bacon Man]

Smart kids could easily finish high school in three years or less and save school districts lots of money.

Ahh but that might hurt the self esteem of stupid kids, which is infinitely more important. /sarcasm

Clever tag line.

[af_vet_rr]

It is too social promotion, no matter what they are saying.

Oh it is. They can dress it up however they like, but your still getting 11th or 12th graders that read or whatever at the level of 7th or 9th graders.

Funny how our national Secretary of Education used to run HISD not too long ago.

[FITZ]

Smart kids could easily finish high school in three years or less and save school districts lots of money.

That's not the goal --- the goal is to get more money --- one reason we see this mess over "robin hood" --- and it's the school districts which want the most money that have the worst dropout rates --- but they lie about the numbers.

[philetus]

It's called protecting the money they get for each body attending classes.

[Publius6961]

Cool! The instant cure for morons.

Give them all diplomas when they are 5.
They will then be on the fast track all, for CEO positions.
Why didn't somebody white think of this?