One More Chance At 4th Grade Promotion

Anthony Tejada, 8, smiled and waved at his mother, Margie Feliciano, through the black-barred gate surrounding the playground at PS 239 in Ridgewood. He was waiting Tuesday afternoon to be dismissed from his first day of a six-week-long summer school program, which he attends so he can try again in August to be promoted to the fourth grade.
"He looks happy," Feliciano said, smiling.
She had been worried about Anthonys nervous mood before enrolling in the school. Anthony is one of 9,041 third-grade students throughout the city who were recommended for the Summer Success Academy offered to help students pass required math and reading tests. Under Mayor Bloombergs policy, schools can no longer employ the previous practice of socially promoting students to the next grade level.
While Feliciano disliked the new policy because her son felt inferior and worried about not being with his friends in the fall, she hoped that summer school would benefit him. At the same time, she thought her son would have done better on the reading test if he had been able to sleep the week of the exam.
"Its a lot of pressure on them," Feliciano said.
The new practice is setting the standard for students to read at grade level, PS 239 Principal Robin Connolly said.
"Thats a fair expectation," she said.
To help students meet that standard, the summer schools 230 students in second through fifth grades were grouped in classes no larger than 16, Connolly said. Anthony was part of an eight-member class.
Students in the program had math and reading instruction in the morning, then partook in arts and crafts and sports offered in the afternoon.
"Its not the stigma of summer school," Connolly said. "Its a fun thing to come to, which is important for the self-esteem of kids."
At the same time, about 30% of enrolled students did not make it to PS 239 on Tuesday. Connolly credited first-day glitches, such as confusion about buses.
But Anthony seemed happy he came. Engulfed in his mothers arms Tuesday afternoon, Anthony contentedly replayed his day.
"Fine," Anthony said. "I have a boy teacher. He was nice."
Anthony continued talking as he moved over next to his 13-year-old sister, Xaimara Tejada, an eighth-grade honor roll student at IS 93.
"I learned math and reading," Anthony said with a wide grin. "You could pick two books or three books. I picked three books."