@staciemcclam Social promotion is the practice of promoting a child to the next grade level regardless of skill mastery in the belief that it will promote self-esteem. Why are kids allowed to pass to the next grade level when they are not prepared? Many students pass to the next grade level even when they cannot read. Social promotion for self-esteem can have unintended consequences such as illiteracy. Imagine the peer pressure of a 1st-grade student who has to repeat 1st grade as opposed to the peer pressure of a 10th-grade student who can’t read or who reads at a 3rd-grade level.
At least one goal for school districts should be foster literate students. I’m not convinced that the goal of some school districts is literacy despite their mission statements. If the goal was literacy, then social promotion would not be allowed. Social promotion promotes illiteracy. Illiteracy does not promote self-esteem. Social promotion does not promote self-esteem because placing students in a classroom environment that they are not prepared for actually lowers their self-esteem. I believe that is morally wrong.
I support retaining kids in early grades such as in preschool, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or 1st grade. That is the time for a student to repeat a grade because they are so young that it is not an issue of peer pressure. Many students end up in high school if they make it to high school without dropping out, not knowing how to read.
It’s not cool to be illiterate in high school. We can combat a lot of illiteracy if we get rid of social promotion in at least grades K-1. Many students at a young age do not qualify for individualized education plans. We might reduce the number of students who are misdiagnosed with special needs in later grades when it is sometimes a reading issue due to a lack of a strong phonics background rather than a development issue needing a special education designation.
I was an elementary teacher for 10 years across the nation from Washington, D.C. to Denver to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, I witnessed social promotion every year in all of those cities. During my teaching career, I mostly taught 1st grade. It was sad for me to know that my students would struggle even more the following year in 2nd grade. I knew that they would get even further behind, would have an even lower self-image, and would not enjoy learning. It is not reasonable for a 1st-grade student to be successful in a 2nd-grade classroom if they cannot read.
It can be unrealistic for a 2nd-grade teacher, for example, to move a student who is at a beginning first-grade level to a 2nd-grade level by the end of the school year. Students don’t just “catch up,” and a teacher doesn’t just “catch them up.” The student would need to progress two years in one year which is possible but is unlikely without a team effort at the school and at home. Even dedicated teachers would need help from paraprofessionals, literacy coaches, and/or other professionals at the school who can provide extra support for the student. Many elementary teachers have 20-30 or more students in the classroom. Even if a teacher works with a struggling student one-on-one or in a small group, there is only so much time that can be devoted to one child who doesn’t have phonemic awareness and hasn’t mastered basic phonics skills.
Each grade level has foundational expectations that should be respected. The guided reading level texts for kindergarten are Levels A-C which is considered an early reading stage. The 1st-grade reading level texts begin at Level C or D and students are expected to reach Level I by the end of 1st grade which is considered the emerging reading stage. The texts for Level I are long and complex passages. Some 1st-grade students are even passed to 2nd grade when they are at a kindergarten level!
By the end of 1st grade some students don’t know their letters, sounds, or basic sight words like “and” or “the.” I believe there should be a cut off reading level for promotion. For example, a 1st-grade student who has not reached Level D, should have to repeat 1st grade. At least at Level D, the student can read well enough to follow along in a 2nd-grade class although it may still be a struggle. If a 1st-grade student doesn’t have a strong phonics foundation, then why are they allowed to pass to the next grade? They can’t read. This is such a disservice to students.
It was obvious to me when a student was not progressing by about November. I would speak with parents, use different reading strategies in small groups, differentiate homework/classwork, and send home practice readers, etc. If there was still no progress by March, I would notify parents that I might recommend retention if no real progress was made before the end of the school year. I even advocated for some students to be retained, but I was never successful. I don’t know if some principals are encouraged to support social promotion as a mandate from the school district. But, it is ultimately the parents’ decision whether the student is promoted or retained and there is nothing a teacher can do. Parents are the first teachers. However, when parents do not help their children learn to read or are unable to help their children learn to read for whatever reason, the school is left to help the child. Social promotion is an injustice.
Stacie McClam is an educator, author, filmmaker, and a radio show host of Teacher Talks on Tribe Family Channel. Stacie has 10 years of experience teaching 1st grade through 4th grade. She taught in Washington, D.C., Japan, Denver, Kuwait, and in Los Angeles County. In her 2018 book, “School Dismissed: Walking Away From Teaching,” Stacie describes why she left the teaching profession. The book raises awareness about the trauma that students and teachers experience at school.
At least one goal for school districts should be foster literate students. I’m not convinced that the goal of some school districts is literacy despite their mission statements. If the goal was literacy, then social promotion would not be allowed. Social promotion promotes illiteracy. Illiteracy does not promote self-esteem. Social promotion does not promote self-esteem because placing students in a classroom environment that they are not prepared for actually lowers their self-esteem. I believe that is morally wrong.
I support retaining kids in early grades such as in preschool, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or 1st grade. That is the time for a student to repeat a grade because they are so young that it is not an issue of peer pressure. Many students end up in high school if they make it to high school without dropping out, not knowing how to read.
It’s not cool to be illiterate in high school. We can combat a lot of illiteracy if we get rid of social promotion in at least grades K-1. Many students at a young age do not qualify for individualized education plans. We might reduce the number of students who are misdiagnosed with special needs in later grades when it is sometimes a reading issue due to a lack of a strong phonics background rather than a development issue needing a special education designation.
I was an elementary teacher for 10 years across the nation from Washington, D.C. to Denver to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, I witnessed social promotion every year in all of those cities. During my teaching career, I mostly taught 1st grade. It was sad for me to know that my students would struggle even more the following year in 2nd grade. I knew that they would get even further behind, would have an even lower self-image, and would not enjoy learning. It is not reasonable for a 1st-grade student to be successful in a 2nd-grade classroom if they cannot read.
It can be unrealistic for a 2nd-grade teacher, for example, to move a student who is at a beginning first-grade level to a 2nd-grade level by the end of the school year. Students don’t just “catch up,” and a teacher doesn’t just “catch them up.” The student would need to progress two years in one year which is possible but is unlikely without a team effort at the school and at home. Even dedicated teachers would need help from paraprofessionals, literacy coaches, and/or other professionals at the school who can provide extra support for the student. Many elementary teachers have 20-30 or more students in the classroom. Even if a teacher works with a struggling student one-on-one or in a small group, there is only so much time that can be devoted to one child who doesn’t have phonemic awareness and hasn’t mastered basic phonics skills.
Each grade level has foundational expectations that should be respected. The guided reading level texts for kindergarten are Levels A-C which is considered an early reading stage. The 1st-grade reading level texts begin at Level C or D and students are expected to reach Level I by the end of 1st grade which is considered the emerging reading stage. The texts for Level I are long and complex passages. Some 1st-grade students are even passed to 2nd grade when they are at a kindergarten level!
By the end of 1st grade some students don’t know their letters, sounds, or basic sight words like “and” or “the.” I believe there should be a cut off reading level for promotion. For example, a 1st-grade student who has not reached Level D, should have to repeat 1st grade. At least at Level D, the student can read well enough to follow along in a 2nd-grade class although it may still be a struggle. If a 1st-grade student doesn’t have a strong phonics foundation, then why are they allowed to pass to the next grade? They can’t read. This is such a disservice to students.
It was obvious to me when a student was not progressing by about November. I would speak with parents, use different reading strategies in small groups, differentiate homework/classwork, and send home practice readers, etc. If there was still no progress by March, I would notify parents that I might recommend retention if no real progress was made before the end of the school year. I even advocated for some students to be retained, but I was never successful. I don’t know if some principals are encouraged to support social promotion as a mandate from the school district. But, it is ultimately the parents’ decision whether the student is promoted or retained and there is nothing a teacher can do. Parents are the first teachers. However, when parents do not help their children learn to read or are unable to help their children learn to read for whatever reason, the school is left to help the child. Social promotion is an injustice.
Stacie McClam is an educator, author, filmmaker, and a radio show host of Teacher Talks on Tribe Family Channel. Stacie has 10 years of experience teaching 1st grade through 4th grade. She taught in Washington, D.C., Japan, Denver, Kuwait, and in Los Angeles County. In her 2018 book, “School Dismissed: Walking Away From Teaching,” Stacie describes why she left the teaching profession. The book raises awareness about the trauma that students and teachers experience at school.