something of interest...
denise
A move to lower school age to 6
Phila.'s mandatory age for school now is 8. That's too late, educators say.
By Susan Snyder
Inquirer Staff Writer
In Pennsylvania, parents can wait until their children are 8 years old to begin school, but
some state lawmakers and educators say that's too late, especially in an academically
struggling school district such as Philadelphia's.
So the move is on to lower the compulsory school age in the city to 6.
Paul Vallas, chief executive of Philadelphia schools, said the change not only would allow
the district to force lagging parents to enroll their children, but also would boost academic
achievement and curb disciplinary problems caused by children placed out of their peer
group.
"We're behind the eight ball before we even start," Vallas said. "It leads to the phenomena
of 17-year-old ninth graders."
In Philadelphia last September, nearly 20 percent, or 2,838, of the district's 14,678 first
graders were age 7 or 8, officials said. Up to a third of the older first graders repeated
kindergarten or were repeating first grade; the others simply started school later, Vallas
said.
The district did not have an estimate on how many of them previously attended
kindergarten, which is not required in Pennsylvania.
Vallas said the late-starters face problems in their own learning and pose problems for
others. They tend to be less academically prepared, are more likely to become disciplinary
problems, and eventually are at greater risk of dropping out, he said.
"The older the kids get, the more self-conscious they become about themselves and the
differences between themselves and their classmates," he said. "These are the children
who are most likely to become disruptive and become the bullies."
The state House of Representatives voted 102-97 last month for the change in the city's
compulsory school age. The bill has moved to the Senate for consideration.
The bill specifies that students must be enrolled in school at age 6. Enrollment in either
kindergarten or first grade would comply, though Vallas said he would push for first grade
at that age.
State Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr. (D., Phila.), chairman of the House Education Committee
and the prime mover behind the bill, said he wants to get the Philadelphia provision in
place by the end of this year and in effect for the 2006-07 school year.
Some have advocated that the age change be extended throughout the state. Pennsylvania
is one of only two states - Washington is the other - that allow parents to register their
children at age 8.
Opposition, however, is significant, with concerns that a change in the law - which dates
to when children worked on farms and elsewhere to help support their families - usurps
parental rights.
State Rep. Patrick Elvin Fleagle (R., Franklin) opposed the move in the House.
"We have, in education as well as a lot of other areas of government, played Big Brother,"
said Fleagle, who is on the Education Committee. "We should be going in the other
direction in making parents more responsible for those types of decisions."
Vallas said the district would launch a campaign to make parents aware of the change if
the bill passes.
He said some of the parents who start their children later are "the less experienced
parents... who are overwhelmed with day-to-day things." He also acknowledged that some
of the parents may be recent immigrants to the United States whose children are older
when they arrive. There are some parents who have elected to keep their children out of
school until later because they felt the children were not ready yet.
The bill exempts home-schoolers, but some of them expressed concern, wondering
whether it would lead to further intrusion later. Candy Kennedy, of the Pennsylvania Home
Education Network, said there must be better ways to get parents to send their children to
school earlier, such as educating them about the need to do so.
Several districts outside Philadelphia said few of their students would be affected if a
statewide law were enacted.
"Most parents have their child in school by age 6 already," said Lou DeVlieger, assistant
superintendent in the Upper Darby School District in Delaware County.
In Pittsburgh, with 33,000 students the second-largest district in the state, officials
estimated that fewer than 10 students a year are enrolled later than age 6.
But Kaye Cupples, executive director for student support services, still would welcome a
lower attendance age. "It's not unusual to find that those students enrolling late are the
ones we really needed to have when they were 4 or 5," he said.
Contact staff writer Susan Snyder at 215-854-4693 or ssnyder@...
Phila.'s mandatory age for school now is 8. That's too late, educators say.
By Susan Snyder
Inquirer Staff Writer
In Pennsylvania, parents can wait until their children are 8 years old to begin school, but
some state lawmakers and educators say that's too late, especially in an academically
struggling school district such as Philadelphia's.
So the move is on to lower the compulsory school age in the city to 6.
Paul Vallas, chief executive of Philadelphia schools, said the change not only would allow
the district to force lagging parents to enroll their children, but also would boost academic
achievement and curb disciplinary problems caused by children placed out of their peer
group.
"We're behind the eight ball before we even start," Vallas said. "It leads to the phenomena
of 17-year-old ninth graders."
In Philadelphia last September, nearly 20 percent, or 2,838, of the district's 14,678 first
graders were age 7 or 8, officials said. Up to a third of the older first graders repeated
kindergarten or were repeating first grade; the others simply started school later, Vallas
said.
The district did not have an estimate on how many of them previously attended
kindergarten, which is not required in Pennsylvania.
Vallas said the late-starters face problems in their own learning and pose problems for
others. They tend to be less academically prepared, are more likely to become disciplinary
problems, and eventually are at greater risk of dropping out, he said.
"The older the kids get, the more self-conscious they become about themselves and the
differences between themselves and their classmates," he said. "These are the children
who are most likely to become disruptive and become the bullies."
The state House of Representatives voted 102-97 last month for the change in the city's
compulsory school age. The bill has moved to the Senate for consideration.
The bill specifies that students must be enrolled in school at age 6. Enrollment in either
kindergarten or first grade would comply, though Vallas said he would push for first grade
at that age.
State Rep. James R. Roebuck Jr. (D., Phila.), chairman of the House Education Committee
and the prime mover behind the bill, said he wants to get the Philadelphia provision in
place by the end of this year and in effect for the 2006-07 school year.
Some have advocated that the age change be extended throughout the state. Pennsylvania
is one of only two states - Washington is the other - that allow parents to register their
children at age 8.
Opposition, however, is significant, with concerns that a change in the law - which dates
to when children worked on farms and elsewhere to help support their families - usurps
parental rights.
State Rep. Patrick Elvin Fleagle (R., Franklin) opposed the move in the House.
"We have, in education as well as a lot of other areas of government, played Big Brother,"
said Fleagle, who is on the Education Committee. "We should be going in the other
direction in making parents more responsible for those types of decisions."
Vallas said the district would launch a campaign to make parents aware of the change if
the bill passes.
He said some of the parents who start their children later are "the less experienced
parents... who are overwhelmed with day-to-day things." He also acknowledged that some
of the parents may be recent immigrants to the United States whose children are older
when they arrive. There are some parents who have elected to keep their children out of
school until later because they felt the children were not ready yet.
The bill exempts home-schoolers, but some of them expressed concern, wondering
whether it would lead to further intrusion later. Candy Kennedy, of the Pennsylvania Home
Education Network, said there must be better ways to get parents to send their children to
school earlier, such as educating them about the need to do so.
Several districts outside Philadelphia said few of their students would be affected if a
statewide law were enacted.
"Most parents have their child in school by age 6 already," said Lou DeVlieger, assistant
superintendent in the Upper Darby School District in Delaware County.
In Pittsburgh, with 33,000 students the second-largest district in the state, officials
estimated that fewer than 10 students a year are enrolled later than age 6.
But Kaye Cupples, executive director for student support services, still would welcome a
lower attendance age. "It's not unusual to find that those students enrolling late are the
ones we really needed to have when they were 4 or 5," he said.
Contact staff writer Susan Snyder at 215-854-4693 or ssnyder@...