Do fifth graders really have to pass the TAKS math and reading tests in order to move on to sixth grade? Some Texas districts are holding fifth grade students who fail the math and reading TAKS tests more accountable than others. An article in DallsNews.com states that,
"In all, Texas schools ended up promoting about 70 percent of its worst-performing fifth-graders through a tool known as the grade placement committee."
This was based on data from 2005. Some districts, such as Wichita Falls, are following the law and promoting a very small percentage (4.8%) of failling fifth graders. Other districts, such as Austin ISD "promoted 90 percent of its fifth-graders who repeatedly failed the TAKS math test."
Of course, most parents want to see their children move on to the next grade. If they have been working hard all year, this is probably the right move to make. The question I have is, "What if they haven't?" What kind of message are we sending to them and the rest of the students in their classes if we allow them to drift through the year, not complete assigned tasks, and expect to pass anyway?