Florida honor students are being forced to repeat a grade because of standardized tests

A group of 14 parents in Florida are suing the state's education commissioner, the Board of Education, and the school boards of seven counties after their children were ordered to repeat third grade despite passing their classes, some with academic honors.

The students have been held back because their parents chose to opt out of a standardized test, the Florida Standards Assessment in reading. While children across Florida (and in other states) elected not to participate in the testing and still were able to move ahead a year, in Orange, Hernando, Osceola, Sarasota, Pasco, Broward, and Seminole counties, local school boards interpreted the law to prioritize test results over classroom performance in determining promotion to fourth grade.

With the first day of school at hand, a ruling in the suit is expected as early as this coming week, so the would-be fourth graders still have hope of starting the new year in an age-appropriate classroom. "We know it's not the right decision for the school to retain him," said Gigi Callaghan of Osceola County, whose son Gavin was held back. "And it will harm our son for the rest of his life."

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