An 8-year-old from Orlando, Fla., was held back in 3rd grade, despite nearly being a straight-A student, because she fell one point shy of the necessary score on the state test.

While her twin brother was promoted to 4th grade at Pershing Elementary, Laela Gray had to report to 3rd grade again this fall because she scored 181 on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test — and she needed a 182.

Laela was held back even though she earned an A in every subject except reading, in which she earned a C. State law determined that only the test score mattered.

“It’s the state law and it doesn’t sit well with me,” Orange County School Board member Rick Roach said. “I thought this is an example of when high stakes go too far.”

Laela ultimately did move on to 4th grade — though one month late — after working with a tutor on test-taking strategies and getting a 63 on a benchmark test. She needed to get at least a 33.

At Roach’s urging, Sen. Darren Soto of Orlando will try to amend the grade-retention law.

“Honestly,” Roach wrote in an email, “how much longer can we ignore this travesty to our children?”

mynews13.com, Oct. 1

The Washington Post, Oct. 4