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Nancy Bailey's Education Website

Revive, Rally and Recover Public Schools

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Grade Retention is Unnecessary!

October 31, 2023 By Nancy Bailey 7 Comments

Studies have linked dropout rates in Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina to the effects of grade retention, student discouragement, and school exclusion policies stimulated by high-stakes tests.  ~Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and former President and CEO of the Learning […]

Filed Under: Featured, Uncategorized Tagged With: alternatives to third-grade retention, retention, third grade retention

Little-Discussed Reasons Why Students Might Not Like to Read

July 19, 2023 By Nancy Bailey 23 Comments

Students don’t like to read. These rarely discussed reasons may explain why. Kindergarten is no longer a garden.    Kindergartners are pressured to read. Before NCLB, over twenty years ago, this was unheard of and still makes no sense. Formal reading instruction once began in first grade. Children in the not-too-distant past were given time to […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: analyzing reading, Close Reading, hazing, high-stakes standardized tests and reading, Kindergarten reading, phonics, reading, reading choices, reading difficulties, reading interest, school gimmicks, school libraries, Students dislike reading, technology and reading, third grade retention

Can a State Reading Program Be a Success if Students are Segregated and Hungry?

June 7, 2023 By Nancy Bailey 12 Comments

Nicholas Kristof’s recent New York Times opinion piece, Mississippi Is Offering Lessons for America on Education, showcases a troubling disregard for segregated schooling and the poverty in which children find themselves. Mississippi’s Segregated Public Schools His article also begs questioning due to its focus on the agenda of ExcelinEd, former governor Jeb Bush’s education lobbying group, […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: ExcelinEd, NCLB, Nicholas Kristof, no excuses, poverty and children, science of reading, The New York Times, third grade retention, vouchers

Third-Grade Retention: Parents Show Common Ground Fighting It

May 28, 2023 By Nancy Bailey 14 Comments

My last post criticized Science of Reading (SoR) advocates for not fighting against third-grade retention or believing it’s good remediation for reading problems. Third-grade retention based on a test is a ploy to drive parents to take their children out of public schools. Some parents with children who have dyslexia, who believe in the SoR, […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: dyslexia, parents, retention, third grade retention

Why Do Science of Reading Advocates Accept Unscientific Third-Grade Retention?

May 24, 2023 By Nancy Bailey 16 Comments

How can anyone who claims the Science of Reading is real think it’s OK to retain a third-grade child based on one test or for any reason? If ever evidence or science existed involving education, understanding the rottenness of retention would be it. Yet some of the same people who believe using phonics (and more) […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: failing third grade, Mississippi third-grade retention, retention, Science of Reading and Third-grade retention, Tennessee Third-Grade Retention, third grade retention

The Harm Caused By the Third Grade Reading Ultimatum

April 5, 2022 By Nancy Bailey 25 Comments

Tremendous pressure is placed on children to learn to read by third grade. They must pass state reading tests created by those expecting them to read at this time. If they don’t do well, they could fail third grade. Yet there’s no clear research on the age a child should be able to read. Not […]

Filed Under: Featured, Uncategorized Tagged With: Finland and reading, No Child Left Behind, reading and child development, reading difficulties, third grade reading ultimatum, third grade retention, When should a child be able to read?

The Haunted Third Grade Classrooms Children Fear: Enter and… Stay Forever!

October 29, 2019 By Nancy Bailey 4 Comments

Children fear third grade retention. It doesn’t motivate them to learn. They don’t read earlier because of it. Retention is not effective. It’s scary and could haunt a child forever. Third grade retention laws are real for children in nineteen states. NEA Reports noted in 2017 that 16 states and Washington D.C. make it mandatory that […]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: dyslexia, expectations, Flunking, high-stakes testing, retention, third grade, third grade retention

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Nancy E. Bailey Follow

Author, Ph.D. Ed. Leadership and longtime teacher, Blogging for Kids, Teachers, Parents & Democratic Public Schools.

NancyEBailey1
nancyebailey1 Nancy E. Bailey @nancyebailey1 ·
21h

What kind of school recess, supervised unstructured play, do your students get at school? Recess breaks should be several times a day. How's your State doing? https://nancyebailey.com/2022/06/22/the-state-of-school-recess-in-america-is-still-terrible/

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nancyebailey1 Nancy E. Bailey @nancyebailey1 ·
21h

K12 Inc. is now Stride? Why do Americans keep throwing $$$ at it? Parents need to educate themselves about the history of this online program.

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susanoha Susan Ohanian @susanoha ·
21h

Joanne Barkin wrote incisive article on wealthy foundation (Gates, Broad, Walton) work to control public ed. Here's reprint of a Dissent article:
http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1991

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hanna_hurley Hanna Hurley @hanna_hurley ·
3 Dec

@NancyEBailey1 Study consequences of such practice in ATL school system
35+ years ago….when students were retained by the hundreds, still didn’t make the required progress, many ended up in SpEd classes, students gave up, acted out, cut school, referred to juvenile facilities….Harmed.
SHAM!

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nancyebailey1 Nancy E. Bailey @nancyebailey1 ·
29 Nov

Kinderchat Guides to the Classroom is a kindergarten teacher's friend. Clearly written, teachers address problems, but advice is especially useful for understanding child development in the K classroom. #Kinderchat @hechternacht

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