An additional 4,000 work in elementary school classrooms, either assigned to a small group of low-performing students or helping the teacher supervise the entire class.

Given the pressure on schools to show good results, it is understandable that principals would have little interest in holding on to low-performing students.

Not all educators have found it easy to use the law to help low-performing students.

The Florida law, on the other hand, gives large cash bonuses to schools that help low-performing students improve their scores.

But we do not agree that the mayor's approach is the best or only one for ending it or helping low-performing students.

For example, for several years District 5 has required large numbers of low-performing students to attend summer school.

From 1996 to 1997, the state changed the testing rules to exempt more low-performing students who do not speak English well.

Students held back did no better than similar low-performing students who were promoted.

For example, when low-performing students are seated in the front, their chance to do better increases.

The problem, he said, is that "there are too many low-performing black students" with poor backgrounds at the elementary and secondary school level.