Can I stop my son from being repeating a grade in school?

Question

My son is in 7th grade. They want to retain him because his grades are low. His grades are low because since kindergarten because he has problems putting words on paper. He works slow and always has. It takes him much longer to finish his work. The teachers complain about having to modify his work. I tell them every year this is a problem and to please help me find a solution. They say I have X amount kids in my class I can't worry about one. I am constantly at the school. They want me to enroll him in special education, I said I will try if it will help him adjust. It hasn't been a huge issue until he was in the 6th grade. Every year especially recently, they threaten my child with retention, which has affected his self esteem about school. Retaining him wont help. Next year he will have the same issues, what will they do? Retain him twice? He isn't delinquent. He causes no trouble and follows the rules and is very shy.

Is There a way I can fight this retention?

Answer 1

HMMMM   does this child have an IEP?  Children with IEP's should never be retained!  

By law the teacher HAS to make modifications and accomodations.....

If this child does not have an IEP I suggest you contact the school counselor and start the process.........

Also the parent has the final say regarding retention...........

good luck!

Answer 2

first of all they cannot hold him back without your permission . secondly does he have an IEP (individualized education plan). he has rights under law.  if you want more info  contact me.

Answer 3

No, but there are ways around it.. He can do summer school or some schools have online classes that he can take to obtain credit..

Answer 4

You said that the school wants you to put him in special education?  A child cannot be put into special education unless they meet the criteria for some type of disability.  So either you mean that they want to evaluate him for special education to see if he qualifies (if this is the case, you absolutely should have the evaluations done) or he has been evaluated and they want to place him and you are unsure.  If retention comes up every year and your child is not being successful, you should have him placed in special education.  You mentioned that the teachers do not want to modify his work like you ask...if he were in special education he would have an IEP, which would specify accommodations that teachers MUST follow.  If I were you, I would definatley explore the special education possibility.  Repeating 7th grade is not going to help him if it is accommodations that he needs.  Once he gets to high school it will become even more difficult to get his teachers to voluntarily make modifications to thier assignments, tests, quizzes, etc.  Many people have misconceptions about special education.  Most students do NOT spend their day in a special education classroom.  Most take all the same classes as other students, but they have accommodations that must be made for them...these accommodations are not made in a public way, so most other students will have no idea your son is receiving them at all.  Many students will have their study hall in a special education resource room, where there are more staff on hand to assist them with their homework.  This is also where students can come from their othre classes when they have a test ot quiz and to get help on in-class assignments.  Your child will have a teacher within the school who will ensure that his other teachers follow the IEP and advocate for him.  Fight the retention and look into special education!

Answer 5

If he has an IEP and is already in special education, he can only be retained if this retention is not related to his disability and IEP failure to effectively meet doccumented needs.

If he is failing a class for reasons other than a doccumented disability and the failure is not disability accomodation- related, it's perfectly legal to hold a kid back.

Answer 6

Yes, they can retain him without your consent, unlike an earlier answerer stated.  No Child Left Behind gives the schools much more strength on this issue.  

Secondly, does your son have an IEP?  If so, why is the school not looking at a change in placement rather than retention?  If your son is not capable of doing grade level work, he should be receiving more time with a special educator in a small group setting.  He's not accomplishing much in his current classroom, so something new needs to be done.

If he does not have an IEP, you should have him test immediately.

Answer 7

Most states implore the IEP (Individual Educational Plan) for students who are behind in any area in any form.  He should have an IEP if he is having troubles.

Many parents do not want their child to be held back because they feel it would embarass the child, family etc.  If your child needs extra help, you can insist on an IEP that the school is legally obligated to follow and insist that the IEP contain tutoring and assistance in areas where his learning style differs from the school's teaching styles.

Answer 8

if he get retained send him 2 summer skool and he will get promoted mah brotha xperienced dis he got retained and sent 2 summer skool and dey put him 2 da next grade now hes doin great

Answer 9

If he needs extra help, then think of it as a bonus - three of my four children, one girl, two boys, repeated grades and it is the best thing they could've done - my daughter was very young, my son changed states so the year group cut off point was different, and my other son had a big year emotionally  w ith  family breakdown; repeating the years they did was the best thing as they were able to expereince success, take on leadership roles having done the grade previously, and the next year teachers stated how much more independent and capable and self- contained and self confident they were.

Don't fight it - retention isnt the most appropriate word...let him be the best in the next grade, rather than the 'worst' in this grade...let him expereince success and his self esteem and confidence will increase, learning will increase and i think it will be much better - repeating a year should  not always be seen as a 'threat'

good luck to your boy.

Answer 10

Well the best way to fight anything is to be well informed and come in knowing more than the "professionals". Read the national school psychologists position on retention. They site all the detriments of retention.

Also they ask you to enroll your child in special education and you said you are willing. I definitely would put in a writing a request to have your child tested for special education. Your child will have more protections and they will have to modify his work. If it still isn't happening contact your local protection and advocacy and find some assistance.

Despite a century of research that fails to support the efficacy of grade retention, the use of grade retention has increased over the past 25 years.  It is estimated that as many as 15% of American students are held back each year, and 30% - 50% of students in the US are retained at least once before ninth grade.  Furthermore, the highest retention rates are found among poor, minority, inner-city youth. Research indicates that neither grade retention nor social promotion is an effective strategy for improving educational success.  Evidence from research and practice highlights the importance of seeking alternatives that will promote social and cognitive competence of children and enhance educational outcomes.

Answer 11

definately look into  special education with an IEP

If he has an IEP-he can still stay in the same classes as long as teh IEP specifies it-he can get an in class support teacher who will be repsonsibile for any modifications that the regular ed teacher is complaining about......

You could also get a 504 plan-but it seems that the teachers are making teh accomodations a 504 plan would give already

the work load is gettign more demanding-it is much easier for a lower elementary teacher to modify work than an upper elementary/middle school