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A fifth of 8th-grade students may flunk The Medford children appear to buy into what a principal calls the 'fiction' that middle school grades don't matter By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Almost 20 percent of Medford eighth-graders are in danger of flunking English or math and could end up in a new summer program. Medford school officials decided recently that students who fail these core courses during the remaining third or fourth quarters will attend classes four hours a day June 12-26. Hedrick Middle School Principal Marjorie Lininger said a disturbing trend has developed over the past two years in which students ignore lessons and activities and fall behind in their studies. "There is a fiction going around that grades don't count in middle school," she said. Lininger estimates that about 100 of her 500 eighth-graders are in danger of failing English or math in the next four weeks. McLoughlin Middle School also has a significant number of failing students, according to district officials. Lininger said she has noticed that some seventh-graders seem to have a similar attitude about doing their studies. "There is something much more insidious about this: They don't learn how to do work," she said. "At the end of the first semester of high school, they suddenly have no credits and are in danger of dropping out. It goes from a misconception into a disastrous plunge." Most of the students, she said, have the ability to perform better in school. As frustrating as this trend is for Medford's two middle schools, these problem students land on the doorsteps of the high schools, which have been combating dropout rates above the state average. North Medford High School Principal Doug McKenzie said the district wants to make these students understand the repercussions of ignoring their work. "They are fighting an uphill battle and get behind quickly," he said. As a result, principals have banded together to make remedial help mandatory before these students enter high school. "This is an attempt to go to the middle school and attach more significance to completing the work," he said. "They need to get the message: If you don't do the work, it is going to cost you." Students entering high school often have a difficult time making the adjustment, but many are finding they don't even have the study skills needed to pass their classes. Officials have discovered that middle school students think they can slough off their work now and catch up in high school. Others have just lost interest, officials said. "We are targeting a group of kids choosing to get an F rather than engaging in the program," said McLoughlin Principal Craig Barabash. At this point, he is not sure how many McLoughlin students are failing, though the district anticipates as many as 80 might have to enter the summer continuation program. "We'll have a better idea about that after we move into the fourth quarter," he said. Administrators are planning to make room for 160 or fewer students this summer, hoping that many can get back on track before spring break. Those who enter the summer program will be enrolled in high school classes in the fall if they successfully practice study skills, complete work samples and study math and English. South Medford High School Principal Cynda Rickert said teachers will be prodding students in the next few weeks to bring up their grades. "We would really have a hard time handling any more" than the 160 expected, she said. Rickert expects that many failing students just won't show up for the summer program, though the district will do everything in its power to make sure they do. "We mean what we say and we say what we mean," said Rickert. Students who don't show up this summer will be required to enter an alternative education program at the high schools. Some might have to double up on language arts classes; others might have to follow a computer-assisted program that will aid them in their studies. For those who do show up this summer, Rickert said two weeks isn't a lot of time, but it should help many improve their study habits. "Ideally, if you could afford it, you could do it for a longer period of time," said Rickert. "We've got a lot of things that we can do to help kids in a short amount of time." Dan Zaklan, director of secondary education for Medford schools, said this new program will be an extension of one already in place for high school students trying to catch up. With the influx of eighth-graders, Zaklan said the entire program could swell to as many as 400 students. Despite the greater numbers, Zaklan said the district still hopes to keep the budget for continuation programs at $4,000 for each high school. In the meantime, teachers will have their hands full trying to get students to do better. "There's a significant portion of the population that is not getting assignments completed and this is a major problem for teachers," said Zaklan. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.