PreK-3rd is a comprehensive reform strategy that seeks to improve young children's access to high-quality pre-K programs and strengthen the capacity of elementary schools to sustain student learning gains in the early elementary school years, and to integrate these two efforts so that all children receive a seamless, high-quality early learning experience that enables them to be proficient in reading and math, and to develop the social and emotional skills that support academic success by the end of third grade.In other words, be these kids' parents. Here we go again with people claiming to be able to close the achievement gap with school policies, like the one Sara Mead describes above, which is basically be the parents.
Look, if you want teachers and schools to take over the job of parents, then give them the tools to do it. If you're not going to do that, then address the need for such surrogate parenting: POVERTY!
Update:
The Edline system used by the Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools emailed each poor grade to his mother as soon as teachers logged it in. Coretta Brunton, Duane's mother, sat her son down for a stern talk. Duane hit the books and began earning Bs. He is headed to Atlanta's Morehouse College in the fall.The above is another bit of proof that schools are trying to do what parents should be doing. We are a nation of enablers, too lazy to parent our children.
If it hadn't been for the tracking system, says the 17-year-old, "I might have failed and I wouldn't be going to college next year."