Fourth-Grade Slump

I agree with this article that No Child Left Behind deserves blame for what they call the "fourth-grade slump," but I would define the slump more broadly and cast the blame more narrowly. I don't know about other states, but in Blue State, the fourth-grade proficiency tests are the first that really matter. Which means the teachers spend the whole year preparing for the test, because they know they are being judged as much as their kids. Which means the best, most creative teachers avoid fourth grade like the plague. Which means you end up in fourth grade with the worst curriculum and the worst teachers. And everyone slumps. (I'm speaking as the mother of a fifth grader, thank god.)