Bloomberg rams through 3rd grade retention policy

The New York Daily News called it “a political hit that would make Tony Soprano blush.” The New York Times called it “hardball tactics” and the head of the teachers union called it the “Monday night bloodbath.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Staten Island borough president fired three members of the Panel on Education Policy to push through the mayor’s controversial policy to hold back third graders who fail standardized tests, creating a storm of protest. Against formidable opposition, the mayor is going full steam ahead with his plan to hold back an estimated 15,000 of the city’s 70,000 third graders who will likely score in the lowest level of tests offered this spring (although parents and teachers may appeal individual cases).

Critics – including a wide range of advocacy groups and educators – say retention policies have been tried in the past – and failed. (See a report by Advocates for Children.) A large body of research has consistently shown that students who are held back don’t catch up and are much more likely to drop out. At the same time, nobody thinks it’s a good idea to pass children from one grade to the next without giving them the skills they need to succeed.

Two reports released this week offer an alternative: give children the extra help they need early on, long before they reach 3rd grade. Eva Moscowitz, chair of the City Council education committee suggests, in a piece in the Gotham Gazette, expanding pre-kindergarten programs, allowing some students to spend two years in kindergarten – rather than one - and encouraging some students to start kindergarten at age 6 instead of age 5.

A report by researchers at Fordham University and New York University compares the cost of the mayor’s plan to the cost of other plans that the researchers say have been proven to be more successful. This report says it would be cheaper and better to try tactics that have worked – rather than spend the $10,000 per pupil it will cost to have children repeat 3rd grade. “We are suggesting that for the same or less money…the Department of Education could mount instructional interventions whose effectiveness has been reliably demonstrated by research,” said the report entitled “First Do No Harm.” The report proposes, for example, reduced class size in 2nd and 3rd grades, an extended school day combined with extensive teacher training help, and “Reading Recovery” or extra tutoring for 1st graders.

All sound like good ideas. Is anybody listening?

Clara Hemphill, March 16, 2004