What To Do If Your Child’s School Raises the Red Flag

Historically, students were passed on from one grade to the next – even if they were struggling.

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Bill in 2001, schools are now under pressure to hold students back if they do poorly on standardized tests or are really struggling.

Initially retention started in 3rd grade – when a child “failed” a high stakes test. More recently, public and private schools are raising concerns in 1st and 2nd grades. 

Is It Too Late To Address Retention or Remediation Risks The Answer is a Resounding No Matthew was a 3rd grader in a private school reading 2 years below grade level.  The school suggested that they either hold him back, or that the parents find a school that was more suitable for him. Mom called from Maryland, and 5 minutes into the conversation she said, “It’s like you know my son; how can you help?” They completed the 3D Learner Program in March and April, and the school saw immediate progress.  A year later, his teacher showed the parents his new reading comprehension scores – Matthew had gained 3 years in his reading comprehension in a year, and she added. "Matthew made more progress in a year than any student I have had in 27 years of teaching”

If you received a notice of potential retention or a note saying, “Your Child is not doing well”, start by taking a deep breath.  Then, we have several recommendations:

1-  Talk with your child’s teacher and start the conversation with 7 thoughts:

• Thank you for alerting me to the problem
• Could you please explain the problems my child is experiencing
• What have you tried, what are you presently doing and what are the results?
• Is there anything else you would recommend?
• Where is my child’s present performance?
• Where does my child’s performance need to be to avoid retention or remedial classes?
• What can I do to make the difference?
  

When parents show their appreciation, ask for feedback and then focus on what they can do to make the difference – the conversation goes in the right direction. Teachers are under so much pressure from many sides.

When the teachers see you wanting to work with them, the chances for a real team effort improve.

2-  Look at past trends to see if this is a new or persistent issue

• Lay-out your child’s reading and math standardized test scores over 2 or 3 years. Where appropriate - compare them to class tests as well
• Look at their grades over the last two years
• See if there is a pattern or this problem is new
  

3-  Ask yourself the following questions regarding difficulties your child may be experiencing:

• Does my child learn differently? Is he good at remembering places he has been, movies he has seen, and learns best when he sees and experiences information?
• Does he appear to have a visual processing challenge?  Does he:

               i.      Skip words or lines when reading  
               ii.      Have difficulty copying off the board
               iii.      Reverse letters or numbers

• Does he have problems paying attention to that which is boring or frustrating?
• Does he have trouble processing and remembering what he has heard?
• Is homework a major challenge and why?
• Is he reading independently on a regular basis (daily!!)
  

4-   If this raises more problems than answers – consider an assessment. We offer two ways to learn more:

• Join us for our free Teleclasses, your only charge will be your long distance charges
• Just call 561-361-7495 for more information on future Teleclasses.
• We address all these issues as part of our On-line Assessment
  

5-   Set Goals for the:

• Next 30 days to find the help you need
• Next 100 days -- to make significant and lasting improvement by the end of the school year
  

 6-  Finally --- Take a deep breath and read the Serenity Prayer – which you may well have seen many times before, but is worth rereading:

        God grant me the serenity

        to accept the things I cannot change,

        courage to change the things I can,

        and wisdom to know the difference

 7-   Stay committed to the goals, and flexible on how you achieve them. Remain calm – your child is probably feeling the pressure and needs your help.

We strongly urge you to try these suggestions and to then post your comments or questions on our blog:  

For Make The Difference Parents When the Red Flag Gets Raised