Jun 15, 2008 By Joyce Koballa 4 min read

PERRYOPOLIS – Frazier School Board agreed to take another look at the district’s elementary promotion/retention policy at the request of the elementary principal and consider offering six weeks of remediation in reading in math to eight students affected. Ken Meadows stressed the importance of revising the policy to board members after acknowledging that four, fourth-grade students at Central Elementary School and four, fifth-grade students at Perry Elementary School are in need of the course in order to pass this year.

“I feel that retention in the early primary grades is worth it and a good source of remediation for children that do not meet the policy set aside by the school district as far as promotion through our curriculum,” said Meadows.

Meadows said the course would cost the district $976, which would include two hours of reading and two hours of math with the program to be offered July 7 through Aug. 15 at the high school.

Meadows added the district would not need to hire additional teachers for the course, and would use the current curriculum materials such as Study Island, the Scott Foresman reading series and the Harcourt math series.

“As we move up in grades retention becomes redundant as we face other factors that play heavily in the role of whether a child’s going to succeed, especially when we retain them,” said Meadows.

According to Meadows, elementary students that receive a 71 percent or D+ grade point average in reading, math and writing are promoted to the next grade under the current policy.

“We could be sending students (on) that have a D+ average in those three core subjects that have zeros in science and social studies because it’s not part of our promotion/retention,” said Meadows.

With the state requiring fourth-graders be tested on science on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), Meadows said, the district not only needs to add science and social studies to its elementary promotion/retention policy, but also revise the grade-point average to close the gap between 0 and 69 percent, which is failing.

Because of the higher standards imposed by the state, Meadows said he would like to see remediation take place between first and third grade instead of waiting until students reach fourth or fifth grade in order for them to make the necessary progress.

“Once they get into (higher) grades remediation is not the answer, but I think credit recovery courses in fourth or fifth grade would give them an opportunity,” said Meadows.

However, Meadows stressed the courses would not be an easy way out since the students would be required to attend, pass and meet Frazier’s academic standards.

“This is something that will give us an extra tool to pass these kids on and give them a little light at the end of the tunnel,” said Meadows.

Additionally, Meadows suggested fourth-grade students that were retained this year also take the six-week course.

“We have kids that possibly, as they move into middle school or high school, can end up in alternative (education) programs. They could end up as future dropouts,” said Meadows. ” I think retention at an older grade level does rob their future.”

While several board members were concerned with the amount of time the students had to retain and pass the courses during the six-weeks compared with the 180 days it was taught during the regular school year, Meadows said the summer session would be intense with a 1:1 ratio of teacher and student.

“Naturally, you are aware of how the bar is rising pertaining to our assessment scores and, within a few years, we have to be proficient across the board,” said Meadows.