Where Did We Put the Children We Weren't Leaving Behind?

We should we change our emphasis from “no child left behind” to “advance no child until the child is ready.” Students should be allowed to work at their own rate at different subjects, allowing them to pass to higher levels when successfully completing their current level, yet allowing students to be at appropriate levels for each subject rather than at one grade level for all subjects. Then much of the problems facing students, between the boredom with subjects they’ve mastered while struggling with difficult subjects where they are falling behind, would be conquered.

This could be accomplished without additional costs to schools by scheduling classes in subjects where learning is progressive, such as Mathematics and English, at the same time. Thus, students would attend the classes at the level that is appropriate for their comprehension. All students of the same age would be in the same home room appropriate for their age, yet, for example, a grade 5 home room student may be in level 6 Mathematics, level 4 English, and level 5 Science. A student would be advanced in a subject area only when ready for advancement. Only then will students learn at rates appropriate for them, and neither passed along and promoted without knowing a subject nor held back when proficient.