Promotions Granted to 1,500 Who Failed 3rd Grade Tests
By ELISSA GOOTMAN, NY TIMES, June 25, 2004

Nearly 1,500 third graders will not be left back despite failing at least one of their citywide tests this spring, the New York City Department of Education announced yesterday.

Because their class work was deemed to be significantly stronger than their test scores, the students were granted reprieves from a hotly debated new promotion policy. The reprieves reduce the number of third graders who are still in danger of being held back to 9,041, all of whom are being urged to attend a new summer school program. After that, they may retake the tests, in English and math.

Yesterday's announcement was the latest indication that the policy, which Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced in January, will not result in as big a change in third-grade holdovers as it first seemed.

"It seems like they're retreating on their own standards," said Eva S. Moskowitz, chairwoman of the City Council Education Committee.

Initially, the Department of Education estimated that the policy could affect about 15,000 of the city's 80,000 third graders. Later, officials said special education students and English Language Learners would not be affected. They also added an appeals process in which teachers, principals and supervisors could take into account class work, attendance and other factors.

Earlier this month, the department announced that 11,700 third graders had scored in Level 1, the lowest of four rankings, on at least one test and could be held back. They recently revised the number to 10,521, after hundreds had been classified as special education students.

Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said she expected that about 7,000 third graders would ultimately be held back.

"With the emotional costs to kids and the huge paperwork burdens on teachers and then months that then became dedicated to teaching and learning to prepare for the tests, was it worth it?" she asked.

Lori Mei, the top city education official in charge of testing, said the new policy had brought consistency to promotion decisions.

"It doesn't matter if you're in the Bronx or in Brooklyn or in Staten Island or in Queens," she said. "The criteria are the same."

To win an appeal, pupils had to demonstrate class work consistent with a high Level Two, which is still considered failing, but just barely.

The rate of successful appeals ranged from 8.3 percent in Region 9, covering much of Manhattan and part of the Bronx, to 18.6 percent in in Region 7, which includes Staten Island and western Brooklyn.