    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [February 23, 1998]
    [Pages 271-272]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 271]]

    Memorandum on Helping Schools End Social Promotions
    February 23, 1998

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Education

    Subject: Helping Schools End Social Promotions

        The linchpin of our efforts to strengthen public education has been
    to raise standards and expectations for all students. As a result of
    State and local efforts, and with the support of Goals 2000 and other
    Federal education programs, students in every State in the country are
    beginning to benefit from higher academic standards and a more
    challenging curriculum.
        If our efforts to promote higher standards are to lead to increased
    student achievement, the standards must count. Students must be required
    to meet them, and schools must provide each student with adequate
    preparation.
        At present, too often standards don't count. Students are passed
    from grade to grade often regardless of whether they have mastered
    required material and are academically prepared to do the work at the
    next level. It's called ``social promotion.'' For many students, the
    ultimate consequence is that they fall further and further behind, and
    leave school ill equipped for college and without the skills needed for
    employment. This is unacceptable for students, teachers, employers, and
    taxpayers.
        That is why I have repeatedly challenged States and school districts
    to end social promotions--to require students to meet rigorous academic
    standards at key transition points in their schooling career, and to end
    the practice of promoting students without regard to how much they have
    learned. As every parent knows, students must earn their promotion
    through effort and achievement, not simply by accumulating time in
    school.
        This is especially important in the early grades, where students
    must acquire a firm foundation in reading in order to learn other
    subjects in later grade levels. Students should not be promoted past the
    fourth grade if they cannot read independently and well, and should not
    enter high school without a solid foundation in math. They should get
    the help they need to meet the standards before moving on.
        Neither promoting students when they are unprepared nor simply
    retaining them in the same grade is the right response to low student
    achievement. Both approaches presume high rates of initial failure are
    inevitable and acceptable. Ending social promotions by simply holding
    more students back is the wrong choice. Students who are required to
    repeat a year are more likely to eventually drop out, and rarely catch
    up academically with their peers. The right way is to ensure that more
    students are prepared to meet challenging academic standards in the
    first place.
        Schools must implement those proven practices that will prepare
    students to meet rigorous standards the first time. Schools must provide
    smaller classes, especially for the most disadvantaged students. They
    must be staffed with well-prepared teachers. Schools should use specific
    grade-by-grade standards and a challenging curriculum aligned with those
    standards. They must identify those students who need extra help early
    on, and provide it immediately. There must be after school and summer
    school programs for students who need them. The entire school staff must
    be accountable for results, and must work together as a team to achieve
    them for every child.
        If steps such as these are taken in every school as part of an
    overall effort to require students to meet academic standards, we would
    see a dramatic rise in student achievement and a decline in student
    retention rates. My Administration must help States, school districts,
    and schools take these steps.
        A growing number of States and school districts is responding to the
    challenge of ending social promotion. A recent study by the American
    Federation of Teachers shows that seven States now require school
    districts and schools to use State standards and assessments to
    determine if students can be promoted at key grades. We must encourage
    more States to take this step.
        Chicago has also ended social promotions, and instituted a program
    that provides after school programs for students who need extra help and
    mandatory summer school for students who do not meet promotion
    standards. In Cincinnati, student promotion is now based on specific
    standards that define what students must know and be able to do. The
    standards are designed to prepare students to pass the State's ninth-

    [[Page 272]]

    grade proficiency test. My Administration's proposal to establish
    Education Opportunity Zones in high poverty urban and rural communities
    will help more local school systems take these and related steps to help
    students meet challenging standards.
        As more States and localities move to end social promotions, we must
    help them design and implement approaches that will succeed. Therefore,
    I am directing you to take the following actions within 6 months:
        1. Produce and Widely Disseminate Guidelines for Educators and
    Policymakers on Effective Approaches to Ending Social Promotions.
    Drawing on the lessons from research and practice, these guidelines
    should provide educators and policymakers with practical advice on how
    to design and implement policies that require students to meet academic
    standards at key transition points before being promoted. The guidelines
    should help schools:
        implement strategies that will prepare all students to meet
                the standards on time;
        end the use of remedial strategies that have been shown to
                be ineffective;
        provide students who do not meet the standards with
                immediate and effective extra help--such as after school
                tutoring programs and summer school--so they can be promoted
                on time;
        implement effective interventions for students who must be
                retained; and
        make appropriate use of tests and other indicators of
                academic performance in determining whether students should
                be promoted.
        2. Help States and School Districts Use Federal Education Resources
    to Implement Effective Practices. The Department of Education should
    develop a plan to inform States, school districts, and schools how
    Department of Education programs and resources, such as Title 1, Goals
    2000, the 21st Century Schools Program, the Comprehensive School Reform
    Program, and others, can be used to implement the recommendations in the
    guidelines described above.
        Together, these initiatives can help ensure that our students
    receive a solid foundation in the basic skills of reading and math, and
    master advanced subject matters as well. They can help improve the
    quality of teaching and learning in our schools, and ensure that
    students who need extra help get it without delay. They can help
    strengthen our public schools by raising standards, raising
    expectations, and restoring accountability.

                                                          William J. Clinton