The Role Of Social Promotion In Education

"If at first you don't succeed, try try again." - William Edward Hickson. This quote recognizes that perseverance is the key to success, but in the education system, the practice of social promotion has grown rampant and unchecked. Social promotion is the practice of promoting students regardless of their mastery level to promote self esteem. This practice was addressed by President Bill Clinton, who said, " If our efforts to promote higher standards are to lead to increased student achievement, the standards must count (Peterson, Riley, Smith 1-9)." Because social promotion overrides the standards set by the curriculum, social promotion presents itself as a threat to the education of students across the United States. Based on three reasons,
A research study from Ohio University found that of 138 students who were retained before high school, 106 of these students were academically successful (Smith 26). Based on these statistics, more than 75% of retained students became proficient in their high school career, a testament to their improvement after retention. Based on this data, it is reasonable to assume that retention is not the main cause of student failure in subsequent years. Therefore it is invalid to state that retaining students lowers self esteem. The use of social promotion, however, can lead to very adverse
Students require a solid foundation in basic concepts in order to advance to the next level of education. Allowing students to advance without mastering the foundation is a foolish procedure. In his memorandum to the Secretary of Education, President Clinton stated that "Especially in the early grades, students must acquire a solid foundation in reading in order to learn other subjects in higher grades." Social promotion also falsifies the value of 8th grade and high school diplomas, which is unfair to students who worked hard to earn their diplomas (Peterson, Riley, Smith 1-9). Without the necessary understanding, students who are socially promoted gain a false sense of confidence that can lead to an apathetic mindset. Chicago has created a policy to limit social promotion for students based on the policy set by President Clinton, affirming that social promotion was a danger to the education system (Nagaoka, Roderick 8). One of the many things that students often lack is the support and guidance of the teachers. There is no one to blame for this; the number of students far exceed the amount of