MovieChat Forums > Boston Public (2000) Discussion > In high school and can't read...?

In high school and can't read...?

posted 18 years ago by NumbersNoMore
16 replies | jump to latest

I saw an episode of this show the other day, where a former student dies in Iraq. Anyhow, it's full of flashbacks showing how the principal had a great relationship with him. It all started in the boy's freshman year, when the principal discovers that he can't read. Now, my question is: is it possible to get promoted to high school if you can't read? Aren't you supposed to pass middle school and won't they figure out that you can't read? Or does it work differently in the United States? Do clarify please, I'm confused...

[–] cal112hmb 18 years ago

I wouldn't read into it too much. The answer you're looking for is "No, he most likely would have learned sometime in middle school", but if he was having other people do his work for him, it's quite possible that he could have made it that far.

"Noooo, same team! Same team!"

[–] robertsonly 18 years ago

I think it's more of a problem than most people realize. There a lot of teachers that are doing what they do because they have a passion for it. But there are some that just want to collect a check. Let's send Johnny out of here and he can be somebody elses problem. It's sad but it happens. Over crowded schools mean there is no more "one on one" with the teachers and students. When you have 30 kids in a room it doesn't work.

[–] EnsignBlair 18 years ago

Yes you can get promoted to High School and not read...chances are you will drop out of school towards the 12th grade..I work in a literacy program in New York, sponsored by the New York Public Library and about 60% of our students have attended High School and have at least gotten to the 10th grade without knowing how to read.In our records we ask the last grade the student completed, and the majority have reached the 11th...sometimes the 12th. Though, no matter how many times I see it, it never fails to shock me.

[–] biggs3004 18 years ago

The short answer to that is yes. Mainly because of social promotion, schools will pass a student on to the next grade based on age rather than grades. It becomes a real problem at the high school level, which is one of the reasons behind high drop out rates.

[–] jrm9086 18 years ago

A girl that used to live near me graduated high school and she can't read.

She also went on to get an associates degree....and still can't read. She needs people to read the material to her and really listens and pays attention during her classes, and has to take her tests and quizzes orally...

It shocked me when I found out, seems like more work is going into helping her since she can't read, then trying to help her learn how.

But whatever, my point is it happens and there is a huge possibility for it as a freshman...especially in that "area" as the show portrays.

[–] drklightdfp 18 years ago

Having once worked in public education, my answer is--

YES.

It's appalling, but it is very possible to come across an illiterate student in high school. It's rare to see kids held back if they're past 6th grade. They're shuffled into RSP or continuation school... and it can be a complicated mess. And as horrible as it is to say, instances like this usually happen in schools that service lower socio-economic areas for a variety of complex reasons.

"No Child Left Behind" isn't making things any better.

[–] wwmmd954 18 years ago

I remember a story where the former coach of the Montreal Canadians is not able to read. So I would say that it does happen more than people think.

[–] Joecal02 17 years ago

It is very real... I've known people back in high school who graduated and they could barely read. Scary but it happens. The school systems in some places are so watered down that it's rediculous. The schools just want to get them out there, therefore the tests are becoming easier and watered down. So kids would pass.

[–] ndteacher 17 years ago

I know this will sound like I am just soap boxing for the profession, but passing a student isn't always left up to the teacher. There are laws and rules that teachers must follow. For example, a student that is mentally retarded may be allowed to have curriculum adapted, to such a degree, that they will earn better grades than a normal student. Whatever is written in that specific students Individualized Educational Program (IEP) must be followed. If a teacher does not follow the IEP, the district and teacher are liable for a lawsuit. I have personally seen a student at a 2nd grade level pass my 11th grade U.S. History course with a higher grade than his/her peers with no learning disability. It is not up to the teacher. Is it fair? Maybe, but really no. It is possible for a student that can barely read to make it through ANY system.

[–] Mrs_William_the_Bloody 17 years ago

a student that is mentally retarded may be allowed to have curriculum adapted, to such a degree, that they will earn better grades than a normal student.

I am a public school teacher and reading this sentence made me cringe. ALL students are normal students. And ALL students have special needs. A child who is mentally retarded is just as "normal" as a child who is not mentally retarded.

I know what a restraining order is. You act like I’ve never dated.

[–] rqmartin 17 years ago

I think you need to respond to the intent of the post rather than the vocabulary. The poster is correct: the crime is that "special needs" students can get such a "watered-down" curriculum and so much help that they can receive higher grades than more "traditional" students. (Does that vocabulary sound better?)

I'm a teacher, and I'm familiar with how the system, in a sense, coddles its special needs students. When they get out and get a job, no one will be there to do the work for them. They will have to read on their own, unless they can con someone into doing it for them. We do them a disservice when we don't transition them into traditional expectations before graduation. I think that IEPs are fabulous for those who need extra help catching up and maintaining a certain academic level; however, after the 10th grade, students should leave their IEPs behind (after all, shouldn't part of an IEP include weaning oneself away from such enabling and more toward ways to compensate for one's disability, whatever it is?) and deal with academics at the appropriate grade level. (If special needs teacher knew that their students were going to be out from under the IEP umbrella, perhaps they would make more of an effort to wean them from too much help.)

Never forget that we live under NCLB, and special needs students are held equally accountable for their scores as traditional students. They catch no breaks for their disabilities and, at the junior level, they shouldn't.

Anyway, in response to the original post, parents also factor in. I believe that schools can't hold a child back without parental permission. Parents don't want their children to look "dumb," so they choose to move their children on to the next level so neither one looks bad. I know students who are unable to do basic arithmatic as well.

[–] 17 years ago

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