Next to splitting a good infinitive (“to boldly go”), I always marvel how people manipulate language to soften something that might be considered too harsh, blunt or unpleasant. These euphemistic expressions are particularly the bread and butter of politicians and educators.
One of the best recent euphemisms was created by State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Eric Mackey. Rather than reveal that some third-grade students had “fallen through the cracks,” he euphemistically portrayed these students’ situation as “on the bubble.”
Last year the Alabama State Department of Education did a victory lap claiming 91% of third graders “passed” the ACAP test in English Language Arts. Kept quiet was the fact that the “passing” score was significantly lower than the score needed for a student to read at grade level; only 77% of third graders meet that latter threshold.
By the superintendent’s own admission, approximately 14% of third graders are now on the bubble, meaning struggling students who remain in the cut-off gap between “passing” and “grade level,” but are moved along to fourth grade anyway. These students have received costly additional reading interventions including specialized reading coaches, additional classes, and the opportunity for summer catch-up work – yet many remain on the bubble.
The Alabama Literacy Act of 2019 recognized many Alabama children were not proficient in reading and created a mandate for improvement. Well, if the standard cut-off score remains significantly below “proficiency,” it appears the Alabama Board of Education can continue to boast success. And recently, to maintain good press, most of the Board voted to keep the cut-off scores low for at least three more years. To me, it’s unconscionable to continue to pass these children along so the Alabama Board of Education can claim artificially inflated reading scores. In the meantime, what will happen to these children on the bubble?
Finally, recent reports from the National Assessment of Educational Progress tout Alabama’s improvement in fourth-grade math. However, Alabama remains behind the national average. What is not apparent is Alabama’s dismal performance in eighth grade math (10 points below the national average) and eighth grade reading scores (seven points below the national average). No doubt many of these poorly performing eighth grade students have been riding along on the bubble.
Barry Nowlin is a retired English professor from the University of South Alabama. He presently works as an Uber driver for his two grandkids.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
