Kansas Legislators Consider Holding Slow Readers Back

Kan. officials anticipate retention policy push

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kansas educators are anticipating legislation aimed at pushing elementary schools to have more struggling readers repeat a grade.

The House education chairman already is discussing legislation. And Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker says Republican Governor Sam Brownback has expressed interest in a retention policy.

Brownback has long said that one of his goals is increasing the percentage of fourth-graders reading at grade-level. About 10 percent of them aren’t. But his office isn’t discussing specifics, saying only that the governor is talking to experts.

Although there’s been nothing official, members of the Kansas Board of Education have expressed concerns about the possibility of a retention policy and sent a letter to Brownback.

Since Florida ended social promotion of third-graders in 2002, other states have discussed or passed similar measures.