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Retention: Fighting the Good Fight Against Holding Kids Back (or how I learned to stop worrying and love RtI)
Parents have to choose their battles wisely. That repetitive math homework that seemed a little pointless? Ignore it. The writing assignment that seemed at least B+ worthy, but got a C? Let it go. But if in-grade retention is being discussed for your child, it is time to roll up your sleeves and fight the good fight!
A great writer would never begin a piece with a cliché, so I beg your forgiveness in saying that in-grade retention is the epitome of Einstein’s overused definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Yet every year, students like Jesse, a second grader who struggles with reading, will do, “the same thing over,” and repeat the same grade while watching his classmates move to third grade. This traumatic event leaves Jesse feeling like a failure and his parents broken-hearted while people such as your humble narrator wonder, “Why do we keep doing this to our children?”
Even more maddening than the obvious “insanity” component is the fact that in-grade retention is an extremely well researched practice, and the research overwhelmingly concludes that holding kids back is not an effective intervention for students who are struggling at school. I would challenge anyone reading these words, especially parents or educators who are considering retaining a child, to google “in-grade retention research,” and see for yourself. (To jumpstart your search, here is a helpful article describing much of the research from the 70s to the mid-2000s.)
Digging into the treasure-trove of research, here is what you will find: Kids who are retained (who, by the way, are disproportionally black children and boys), may appear to show gains in their first couple of years after the retention, but after 2-3 years, their gains level off and they achieve at similar levels to students who also struggled but were promoted. The true differences between the retained child vs. the promoted child, however, are found within the negative byproducts that research shows retained children receive such as significantly increased risks of dropping-out of school, future drug and alcohol use, poor attitudes towards school, as well as difficulties with self-esteem and emotional issues.
To be clear, this article is not a call for “social promotion,” which is also an ineffective practice. Students should not be blindly moved grade-to-grade while their deficiencies are ignored. This is a call to eliminate the ineffective practice of in-grade retention and replace it with promotion that meets children where they are developmentally and academically. This may sound idealistic, but there is actually a vehicle in place already designed to facilitate such a practice: Response to Intervention (RtI) / Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).
If your school is utilizing RtI / MTSS correctly, a child who is performing below grade level should be promoted to the next grade where he will receive either Tier 2 (increased remedial instruction) or Tier 3 (intensive, individualized instruction) in the area(s) of need. If retention is an option being discussed and RtI / MTSS interventions are not a frequent topic of conversation in your conferences, that school has a serious problem on their hands that might need to be corrected at a higher level.
If your child is at-risk of becoming a victim of the damaging practice of retention, arm yourself with research and alternatives. Fight the good fight! See below for a couple more resources to help inform as well as provide you with strategies for fighting retention:
10 Strategies to Fight Mandatory Retention
Retention and Social Promotion Discussion
Matthew Wiggins, Ed.S
Licensed School Psychologist
WigginsEvals.com
Why Does the Gifted Testing Process Take So Long?
“I just wasn’t willing to wait all year for the school to do the testing.” This is the sentiment so many parents express when reaching out to me to test their children for giftedness. Sometimes they make that call due to a disputed score or concerns with a previous test, but 9 times out of 10, it comes down to one issue: Time.
Most psychologists at our public schools are very good at what they do and provide excellent gifted evaluations (though if I may sell myself for a moment, I look A LOT like Superman and exude great charm matched only by my modesty, but I digress). Several factors, most out of the hands of the school’s psychologist, contribute to excessive wait times during “the process” of having a child tested for gifted eligibility.
Schedule Your Gifted Evaluation Today!
So why, specifically, does it takes so long to have that gifted test done at school? Below is a typical (read: no hyperbole needed) timeline of events that illustrate why a gifted evaluation takes so long to be completed.
The Screening Process Begins
November 4 – Ms. Waters requests that her son, Roger, be tested for the gifted program. Before he can be formally tested, she is told, Roger must be screened by the school counselor. Paperwork is signed, Roger is added to “the list,” and the wait begins.
December 15 – The school counselor is able to screen Roger using the KBIT-2, a brief IQ test. Ms. Waters is informed that her son’s KBIT-2 score of 125 has made the cutoff, and he will be given the full gifted evaluation by the school psychologist. Knowing how important the evaluation is for Ms. Waters, the counselor expedites getting paperwork ready to submit to the district so the next stage can begin before the Christmas break.
December 17 – Ms. Waters comes in to sign a consent form to allow Roger to be given the full IQ test. She is informed that the evaluation will take place within 90 school days of this date.
Ticking away. The moments that make up the dull day.
The Evaluation Clock Starts (Officially) Ticking
January 4 – When Roger returns to school after the holidays, he is officially on day three of the 90 school days that the evaluation must be completed within. He waits…
February 2 – Groundhog Day. Also, the 23rd school day since consent was signed. Ms. Waters, though eager, patiently waits…
February 22 – After the Rodeo Day Holiday (not a joke in Osceola County! But don’t worry, they make up for it by attending school on President’s Day), Ms. Waters’ calls the school psychologist to inquire when Roger may be evaluated. It is now day 36 towards the 90 day deadline. The psychologist offers genuine sympathy and understanding with Ms. Waters’ growing impatience and assures her that she will work with Roger as soon as she possibly can.
What the school psychologist does not share with Ms. Waters is that since that consent form was signed, she has been juggling two schools, so she is on campus only a day or two each week. Half of her time is spent in mandatory meetings (MTSS / RtI meetings, staffings, district trainings, etc.), and she is fortunate if she gets a full day at one of her schools to devote to testing. She currently has 28 referrals to evaluate other students, most of whom are struggling learners or students with significant behavior problems. For each evaluation she conducts, she writes a psychoeducational report, each of which take several hours to complete. Meetings are then scheduled to discuss the results of each evaluation. Because she is on the district crisis team, she missed two of her regularly scheduled school days last week to provide counseling at a school across the county that had a teacher unexpectedly pass away. Oh, and that scuttlebutt parents had heard about the kindergartener who bit the teacher and had run away from the class several times? That was true, and the school psychologist has been instructed to bump that youngster to the top of her evaluation list for safety reasons.
March 11 – Day 50. Still waiting…
March 14-18 – Spring Break.
April 15 – Day 70. Still waiting…
So you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking.
Evaluation Day!
April 28 – After a week of FSA testing, and on the 78th day after having signed consent, Ms. Waters brilliant son is finally tested! The next day, an excited Ms. Waters calls the school psychologist to ask how Roger did. She is informed that the results cannot be shared at that time, but once the report is written, they will schedule a meeting to discuss the results and all program options.
May 6 – Day 84. The school psychologist completes Roger’s report and submits it for processing at the district office, six days ahead of the 90th day deadline.
May 11 – Roger’s school receives the processed report with his gifted evaluation results from the district office. Ms. Waters is contacted to set up a meeting to discuss the results. The meeting will need to be scheduled for the last week of May due to the large number of ESE meetings that are required to take place before summer vacation.
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older.
Evaluation Results
May 26 – Finally, the meeting to discuss Roger’s testing results takes place, and with his RIAS IQ of 134, he officially qualifies for the gifted program. His services will begin next year.
June 9 – School lets out for summer break.
The time is gone. The song is over. Thought I’d something more to say.
Coda
So why does it takes so long for a school to test a child like Roger for the gifted program? Well, here you have it. Run this article by your school’s psychologist or counselor and ask how realistic it all sounds and I bet you get at least a wink if not an affirmative grin. Site-based school psychologists or even psychologists who specialize in only gifted testing within districts would drastically speed up the process, so advocating for such things with your local school board and / or legislators may be a worthwhile endeavor to prevent wasted school years like the one Roger experienced. In the meantime, I hear that there are private evaluators out there who can bypass the screening process, administer the full IQ test, and provide results faster than a speeding bullet. Up, up and away!
(*Note – Since publishing this article, the timeline has been trimmed by the state to 60 days.)
Matthew Wiggins, Ed.S
Licensed School Psychologist
WigginsEvals.com
A Slow Clap Tribute to Florida’s Superintendents
Clap… Clap… Clap… Clap… Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap! Clap! Clap!
On September 25, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS) released a statement that, in short, recommended that the severely flawed FSA administration from the previous school year not impact students, teachers, and schools. You can read their message for details, but acknowledging that the accountability system school districts adopted is flawed and has fostered a loss of trust amongst the public is a refreshing admission.
And thus, a tribute to Florida’s superintendents:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf3j2zpV8Sw
If I may take issue with one point made in the FADSS statement (and it is my blog, so I may), the assertion that, “direct negative consequences were avoided for the students,” is dubious, especially for those of us on school campuses leading into and during the FSAs. My own two eyes saw children needing to be pulled from classes for medical assistance and counseling with heart palpitations and other anxiety-induced symptoms on test days.
Hours of potential instructional time were lost due to not only the time needed to take the mountains of state tests, but by countless wasted minutes walking children to computer labs for testing only to find that the technology had failed. We’ll wait until things are up and running in a couple of hours. Those of you already sweating and stressed? Just put your heads between your legs and breathe if you feel nauseous. Sorry to drag this out.
And let’s not forget that for months leading up to the test, the unlucky souls recruited to play the arduous role of “school testing coordinator,” usually a dean, counselor, reading coach, or assistant principal, didn’t get to do their actual jobs for the students. The dean will not be available until after the FSA, so we ask that all naughtiness be kept at a minimum. If the testing coordinator was fortunate enough to have some helping hands, it was usually school support staff who suspended their primary responsibilities which included everything from helping overloaded teachers with materials and copies to tutoring struggling learners. Sorry kids. No small groups with Ms. Bliss until the end of April.
So with all due respect, there were plenty of direct negative consequences for students. But I digress.
All in all, the superintendents really do deserve applause. One must have courage and integrity to take heed and change direction when you realize you’ve gotten yourself (and our teachers, school administrators, and especially our poor, poor kiddos) into a bad spot. The statement from the FADSS follows encouraging and brave steps taken last spring by several Florida school districts such as Orange County to scrap the most nonsensical end of year exams the state had pushed because, well, it’s silly to give 6 year olds final exams on any and everything including art and P.E.
Parents and educators alike want more bold moves from decision makers to amend other poorly thought out policies (I’ll personally wash the cars of any superintendents who eliminate the insane practice of mandatory retention. Seriously. Wax too.). Positive change does not come all at once. The recent actions of Florida’s superintendents give hope that perhaps this is a wave building, ready to crest and then break onto the shore. If that is indeed the case, they are worthy of our most sincere acclamation.
Homeschool Brainstorm Request
You realize you guys are AMAZING, right?
Teaching and being Dad to my two beautiful children are by far the most difficult jobs I’ve ever held. And you do both?! Like some kind of hybrid parent-teacher superhero?! Great Hera!
I would like to tap into some of that awesomeness, if I may. In recent months, I have had the pleasure of working with a handful of homeschool families looking at everything from giftedness to autism to learning disorders. Clearly, there is a growing movement of brave, ambitious parents such as yourself homeschooling your kiddos.
So what are you (and other superhero parents like you) in need of? Could you use support in finding ways to build community with other homeschool families? Learning strategies for hands-on teaching? Providing enriched and enhanced instruction for gifted or highly intelligent children? Creating more social opportunities? Help identifying learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, autism, or other exceptionalities?
Those are a few ideas to get you thinking, but I want to hear from YOU!
This is a brainstorm, so there is no such thing as a poor response! Please be open about whatever thoughts this exercise may trigger.
I am constantly collaborating with a variety of professionals such as those working in learning centers to therapists to pediatricians to nutritional advisors. What can I share with them so we are better serving homeschool families?
This is a chance for you to be heard, and I thank you so much for sharing your insights with one of your biggest fans!
Up, up and away!
Your message has been sent
Matthew Wiggins, Ed.S
Licensed School Psychologist
WigginsEvals.com
Summer Social Skills Challenge: Daily Practice for Children with Social Anxiety
Sitting somewhere between the conclusion of the previous school year and the start of next school year, now is a fantastic time to bolster your child’s ability to interact with others. Many children struggle with social anxiety for a variety of reasons ranging from general shyness to low self-esteem to anxiety disorders or autism. Regardless of the cause, providing practice for your child so he or she can become more at-ease and confident when interacting with others is essential to growing socially. With that in mind, your favorite neighborhood school psychologist presents the Summer Social Skills Challenge! Guide your child with a positive, encouraging attitude throughout each of the four steps described below, and prepare yourself for the pride that will fill you with each challenge met!
Step 1: Define the challenge of the day.
Be explicit in doing so. It will increase your child’s comfort level to discuss where the challenge will take place, what your goals are for that particular challenge, and what the interactions will look like.
There are literally hundreds of potential social challenges to be accomplished, but here are a few ideas to get you started. Try at least one each day!
“Today you will…”
- Greet the greeter at Walmart and ask how her day is going.
- Initiate a game (i.e., tag, hide-and-seek, etc.) with kids at the playground.
- Pay the cashier at Publix.
- Order food at McDonald’s.
- Share a toy or play item (i.e., slide) at the kids area of the shopping mall.
- Converse with a movie theater employee about his or her (or even your) favorite film.
- Inquire about different entrees at Olive Garden.
- Tell a joke to grandma.
- Introduce yourself to someone your own age at the park.
- Give a compliment to someone at church (author’s note: sweet old ladies are quite receptive to this kind of charm).
- Ask a worker for help finding an item in Target.
Step 2: Practice the interaction.
Role play the event before it happens. Take turns within each role, modeling appropriate behavior for each. For instance, you may play the part of the Walmart greeter by sitting in the kitchen. Have your child walk through the hallway to where you are seated, look you in the eye and say, “Good morning.” Be positive with your feedback while also being very specific, providing practice for behaviors that can be improved (i.e., “You did a great job of looking into my eyes while speaking with me! Now let’s practice again, and I want you to try to smile when saying, ‘Good morning.’”). Within these practice sessions, switch roles or include other members of the family so you can model the desired behavior.
A few basic goals to encourage for each interaction:
- Make eye contact when speaking and listening.
- Shake hands when meeting someone.
- Remain at an appropriate distance – about arms length – from the person you are speaking with.
- Smile!
- Speak with a friendly tone of voice.
- Say an appropriate goodbye when the interaction is finished.
Step 3: Go out and try it!
You’ve discussed the challenge and practiced it, now let’s give the real thing a try! There may be some anxiety beforehand, so encouragement and reassurance leading into the challenge are a must.
Step 4: Praise the effort and discuss what went well and what could be improved.
Offer praise, praise, and more praise! Initiating social interactions is not something that comes natural for children with social anxieties, so an overabundance of commendation and expressions of pride are a must for the bravery exhibited! This will help boost your child’s confidence for future interactions. Within your raving, be specific about what went well (i.e., “Wonderful job of telling your new friend your name and asking what his name was when introducing yourself!”). Also feel free to ask your child what he thought could have gone better or been different. Being careful not to discourage, you can specify a point or two to remember for the future. Practice these potential improvements to apply to interactions soon to come.
The best way for people of all ages to improve their social skills is through practice. With half of the summer in front of you (read: the glass is half-full!), take advantage by providing opportunities for your child to successfully meet each daily challenge!
Matthew Wiggins, Ed.S
Licensed School Psychologist
WigginsEvals.com
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