Pre-filed bill would retain third-graders with reading problems

Posted by Scott Rothschild January 8, 2013 at 11:36 a.m.

Pre-filed bill would retain third-graders with reading problems

A state legislator has pre-filed a bill that would retain students in third grade if they score less than proficient on state reading tests.

The measure by Rep. Steve Huebert, R-Valley Center, will be considered by legislators when the 2013 session starts Monday.

House Bill 2004 includes exceptions for mandatory retention.

These include students with limited English proficiency who have had fewer than two years of English language instruction and special education students for whom state tests are not appropriate or who have received two years of intensive remedial help and were previously held back one to two years.

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Brave21Hawk 5 months, 1 week ago

Even if a kid is only point point off the "Proficient" mark and had not been feeling well for two days prior to the test? This is a ridiculous bill.

Armstrong 5 months, 1 week ago

Here come the parade of excuses

Kathy Getto 5 months, 1 week ago

Stupid.

deec 5 months, 1 week ago

So much for local control and small government.

happypill4014 5 months, 1 week ago

When did legislators become educators? They have no business making a call if a student should be retained or not!

Katara 5 months, 1 week ago

There should be other factors considered when deciding to retain a student. Also, funding programs that help tutor elementary kids in reading and math would help. Programs that provide a little extra help for those who are struggling in those areas work very well.

appleaday 5 months, 1 week ago

Also, what about the costs of retaining students and having them in school longer?

kansasplains1 5 months, 1 week ago

Kids mature at different times and in different ways. State reading tests are only one of the many ways. A student might be gifted in music or art, for example, and that takes time to discover.

Also, immigrant kids are at great disadvantage, especially those who have had to learn English as a second language!

Armstrong 5 months, 1 week ago

Oh the Horror ! Setting standards for kids to meet.

LadyJ 5 months, 1 week ago

I have heard many stories from parents who have tried to get special help for their children at school but are turned down and told their kids don't qualify. Try having a kid with dyslexia in this school district and see how much help you get. Many children have reading problems due to physical problem, yet score very high on intelligence tests. I have seen and heard of teachers that will not accommodate the special needs of a child with a reading disability.

tanzer 5 months, 1 week ago

Dyslexia is specifically cited as a disability in IDEA. If this is the cause of poor achievement an IEP may be necessary. The purpose of an IEP is to modify the curriculum to meet the needs of the child. Unfortunately all children will not learn to read even at the 3rd grade level as a result of a disability. Many children not performing well have mild or mental health disabilities which it seems no one in KS wants to fully address.

LadyJ 5 months, 1 week ago

Have been told by many parents that the school district has told them they will not test for dyslexia. Also have been told by many parents that they have tried and tried to get an IEP but the school refuses even though they have proof of disability from an outside resource.

Souki 5 months, 1 week ago

Gov. Brownback has long trumpeted the goal of having all Kansas fourth-graders reading at grade level. It's a laudable goal, but I'm not sure the best plan for achieving it is to keep any children who fall short out of the fourth grade. The goal is for all fourth-graders to be proficient, not to have only proficient fourth-graders.

Let's put in place plans for improving reading proficiency before we legislate out of the classroom any students who fall short. Huebert's bill makes about as much sense as would having non-proficient readers skip from third to fifth grade, although that would help achieve the governor's goal, too.