THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES ESPECIALLY IN THIRD GRADE

According to Ben Franklin the only guarantee in this world is death and taxes, so I wonder how thrilled Ben would be to learn that the state of Ohio has created one more.

As most of us know, Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee is a program that identifies students behind in reading from kindergarten through third grade and then provides help and support to make sure those students are on track for reading success by the end of third grade (unless they are not…because not everyone will be).

Unfortunately if a student cannot demonstrate that they are “on track” by passing the third grade reading OAA test they face repeating third grade the next year. There are a few exemptions, but this “guarantee”, guarantees a lot of retention statewide.

Naturally school districts are working hard to meet the demands the new law creates, teachers are concerned, parents are concerned and school administrators are also concerned.

But do you know who else is really wondering and worrying about being labeled “on track”? Well, I could give you a list of names.

A second grader said to me just last week, “Mrs. Webb, I am really worried about passing that reading test next year”. The sincerity in her voice and fear in her eyes told me that she realizes she’s not currently “on track”. Although she tries hard and receives lots of support from various sources in our building, she does lag behind. I am just not sure if she lags behind enough to be retained based on her ability to score 400 on her third grade reading OAA. Regardless, it’s a major worry in her young life.

My main concern in second grade was which third grade teacher I would have the next year. I also worried if my friends would be in the same classroom and if we would get to do gymnastic in phys. ed. class, I had seen the trampoline set up many times, but had never gotten to jump on it. In third grade I grew to love reading and writing, I enjoyed stories, poems and fables. I liked it when the teacher read “Charlotte’s Web” and “Stuart Little”, aloud every day after recess, I was excited about learning cursive and multiplication. I worried about being picked last in gym class, losing a library book and the bus driver forgetting to stop at my house. I know these worries sound childish…but I was a child. I did not worry about failing third grade. I didn’t worry about a test, a score or a label I may encounter as a result of a test or score.

As an educator it makes me sad enough to see colleagues and parents stress about one test score on one day, but seeing seven-year-old girls and boys being concerned just puts everything into a new perspective. While I understand the novel goal of the third grade guarantee, I am just not sure it is attainable. It is common knowledge that every individual possess different strengths and gifts and every individual also lacks different strengths and gifts.

I personally have no sense of direction…at all. I know the sun rises in the East and sets in the West and that is a huge help to me sometimes; especially on the I-270 outer belt around Columbus. If there had been a ‘directions’ proficiency test included with my driver’s examination I would not be licensed to drive a vehicle today.

As I looked into the face of the second grader worried about failing the third grade OAA, I realized this is more than a test score to her. This is about her ‘personally’. No child (or adult) wants to fail. No child (or adult) wants to be labeled or forced to repeat a year of anything based on the fact they are deemed non-proficient according to a test score. No child (or adult) wants that kind of pressure in the back of their mind every day. It isn’t healthy emotionally, physically or mentally.

Some kids are just not going to perform well on a test, maybe they do poorly because the test is timed, maybe they are stressed out and physically sick from worrying about it, maybe they just don’t work well under pressure, maybe they can’t read very well or comprehend what they have read.

There are no guarantees in life whether you are in third grade or the nursing home. It is impossible for all individuals to be at the same place intellectually at the same time. All kids can learn, but all kids cannot learn at the same pace. Asking them to all score at least 400 on one day on any test is unreasonable; and automatically retaining them for another year of third grade because they can’t is sad.

If legislators could spend a day in second or third grade and witness firsthand the anxiety and fear the kids deal with as a result of this “guarantee”, I guarantee you they would re-think things. Taxes and death…and now on track by third grade…wow. Maybe they can work on an ‘automatic employment guarantee’, next.