Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott said last week that he will not enforce the state ban on social promotion of students in public schools unless the legislature restores funding to help students in danger of failing because of their low test scores.
Speaking to school superintendents and administrators from across the state, Mr. Scott said he does not believe students should be subjected to the promotion standards unless they are offered remedial classes to correct academic deficiencies.
His comments drew applause from the audience.
Current law requires students in grades 5 and 8 to pass the state achievement test to be promoted under a program initiated by then-Gov. George W. Bush.
Funding for the initiative was slashed from $293 million in the previous two-year budget to $23.5 million in the current one. That means remedial help offered to hundreds of thousands of students in the past is no longer available.
