Tom begins remediation; his Mom feels helpless.

    In January, Tom's fourth grade teacher began to change his routine.  One Tuesday, after the pledge of allegiance, the teacher explained that they had reached the point in the year where it was time to see where everyone stood compared to the end of year expectations.  They took a long arithmetic test, followed by a reading test after lunch.  By the end of the day Tom was tired and pretty depressed.  The tests were hard, but at lunch some of his friends had said the arithmetic was pretty easy.  In the afternoon he noticed that some of them finished the reading test much faster than he did.  In fact, when the teacher gave them the ten minute warning, he had to guess at some questions that he hadn't been able to even read about just to finish on time.  All of a sudden fourth grade was looking much harder than third.
     The next day began like Tuesday had never happened.  Just like those third grade report cards and test scores, Tuesday's long day of testing was in the past.  No one needed to tell Tom that he had not done well on the tests.  He knew that the arithmetic was a blur after the first few questions.  On the reading test he recognized some words as vocabulary words from class, but he still didn't know their meaning.  He didn't even understand some of the questions asked in the reading test.  Of course Tom saw his grades on the class tests his teacher gave during the year.  He knew that most of his friends had better grades and probably did better in the Tuesday test.  Like his Mom said, "It will be okay."  It was okay until after lunch.
    Afternoons in fourth grade was the time for recess and what the adults called "specials," things like chorus, computers, library, gym, and art.  Wednesday afternoon, the day after those Tuesday tests, "specials" took on a new meaning for Tom and some of his classmates.  Two afternoons a week the students who did poorly on the arithmetic test stayed behind for extra help.  Two afternoons a week the students who did poorly on the reading test stayed behind for extra help.  Tom found himself in both groups.  He went home Wednesday and told his Mom he hated school. Thursday his Mom made an appointment to see the Principal.
     At the meeting the Principal showed Tom's Mom the data from the third grade tests and the Tuesday arithmetic and reading tests, explaining that Tom was not showing sufficient progress.  The afternoon interventions were part of a statewide plan to keep students on track for what the Principal called "on time graduation."  Tom's Mom was struck with fear.  "Would Tom be held back in fourth grade if the scores did not improve?"  The Principal assured her that students were not held back, but adjustments had to be made to get Tom and some of his classmates "up to speed" with the state standards.
     As Tom's Mom left school that day she felt disabled and lost.  Tom was a good boy, well behaved, healthy, energetic.  What had gone wrong?  How would he cope with this setback?  What could she do to help?  She understood the Principal, but wasn't there another way?