Blog: FCAR Speakout

Print the petition (download MS Word^® or PDF version), and collect signatures of parents, teachers, and other citizens who oppose mandatory FCAT-based grade retention. Mail completed petitions to FCAR at the address at the bottom of the petition, or send them to Barbara Barry, 262 Balfour Drive, Winter Park, FL 32792.

PETITION for EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL REFORM

We are Republicans, Democrats and Independent Voters. We oppose multiple and massive grade retention practices as a solution to social promotion. Mandated, multiple grade retentions compromise the effectiveness of other efforts for educational reform. We are Teachers, Guidance Counselors, School Administrators, School Nurses, Social Workers, Therapists, Support Staff, Parents and Concerned Citizens. We work with students everyday in our professions. We want our educational system reformed to promote social, emotional, and academic achievement of the whole person. We favor multiple instruments for accountability and are dedicated to real reforms that are beneficial to students and society. Our professional experience and knowledge informs our position opposing current retention practices. WE WANT THE MANDATED, MASSIVE AND MULTIPLE YEAR RETENTIONS STOPPED.
 

Sponsored by Groups of Child ADVOCATES including Florida Counselors, Psychologists, Nurses, Social Workers, Educators and Researchers.

We oppose mandated, multiple year grade retention because we know and have experienced the following:

1. Due to the handicapping condition of special needs children, instructional accommodations to achieve are provided through individual educational plans. Slow learners and special education children can learn but do so at a different pace and may never be on grade level due to their disability. Retention is not the intervention to help Special Education Students or slow learners.

2. All learning is not linear or sequential. The brain learns in multifaceted ways. Use of multiple teaching strategies and differentiated instruction to facilitate learning in a class of peers is far more effective according to the majority of l research and studies on educational best practices.

3. Repeated research confirms retention is not academically beneficial in the long term for 3 out of 5 children. Higher numbers of dropout rates occur among students who were retained. That equates to higher crime, joblessness, poverty and dependence on government welfare programs.

4. The emotional and social impact on retained students is not disputable. Parents, school counselors and teachers experience first hand what research has shown. The older a child is retained the more they experience shame, stress, and attach negative feelings toward themselves and toward school.

5. Bullying, sexual harassment, intimidation are on the rise among retained students. Anger from failure results in aggression. When school safety is impacted, learning is negatively impacted.

6. In sports, older, bigger retained students playing younger smaller students in competitive or contact sports is a problem created by multiple year retentions.

7. Parents, teachers, administrators, counselors who have most contact with children and who are most qualified to make decisions on what is best for individual learners are now silenced to become the enforcers of government mandates to retain.

8. Currently more minority children and children of poverty are being retained compared to more advantaged students. Social justice impacts academic performance and economic opportunity for minorities. These higher retentions rates result in higher drop out rates for minorities.

9. Summer school costs about $1,300 per student compared to $4, 051 for a repeated grade. At $6.00 an hour for an aide, it would take the savings from 1.6 retained children to employ an aide in every classroom full time to give children extra attention. Retention costs more than funding extra help.

10. The current use of FCAT scores to determine school funding and student progression is detrimental to more effective reforms and is a gross misuse of any standardized achievement test.

11. FCAT is more difficult to pass than many other state’s tests. A child retained in Florida may not be retained in another state. The public is deluded into thinking higher standards should be a source of pride when in fact, Florida faces unprecedented drop out rates.

12. Efforts to address the rise in childhood obesity are hampered less physical activity in school and fewer hours of Physical Education classes because of the emphasis on curriculum tested by FCAT.

Provide Instructional Alternatives to Retention and Social Promotion
1. Promote improved teacher training including teaching reading in the content area grades 6-12, curriculum development, accountability, and incorporation of brain research to promote learning.
2. Implement comprehensive guidance and counseling programs in all schools at all levels to address emotional and behavioral impediments to learning.

3. Increase parent and community volunteer and mentor involvement in schools.

4. Fund schools to provide the needed staff, materials, technology, and environment to promote the success of every student.

5. Fund schools according to need. Schools with low reading scores need more funding not vouchers.

6. Fully fund Pre-K programs and mandatory programs for remedial help including summer school opportunities, tutoring, extended year programs, weekend school, and individualized instruction.

7 Implement a holistic curriculum including quality art, music, foreign languages, multi-cultural studies, physical, and health education programs.

8. If retention is considered for a chronically ill child to receive missed instruction, make decisions with an educational team of experts consisting of parents(s), teachers, school psychologist, counselor and principal.

9. Expand adult literacy programs and job training opportunities in Public Education.

10. Shift our educational emphasis from covering what will be tested to developing responsible citizens of character, who are life long learners, tolerant of diversity, capable of thinking and solving problems and who are fulfilled, happy and contributing members of society.

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Last modified: 06/15/08