This book focuses on how elementary school teachers and administrators can make sensible, well-reasoned, and defensible retention and promotion decisions. The book contains a reproducible retention/promotion checklist made up of questions selected on the basis of factors that have an impact on school success or failure. Checklist summary and…

Factors to be considered in deciding about nonpromotion of students include child factors (such as physical disabilities, physical size, self-concept, and ability to function independently); family factors (such as attitude toward retention and number of geographical moves); and school factors (school's, principal's, and teacher's attitude toward…

Describes problems associated with student-promotion systems and practices and specifies the situations in which grade retention works best. Offers recommendations for rethinking the policy and practice of retention. (LMI)

This booklet examines ways to promote student success in a California standards-based system. It reviews the history of social promotion and retention in the United States and suggests why it is time to move beyond the "either/or" mindset. The booklet suggests that neither social promotion nor retention solves the basic problem of…

Examines the policies involved in promotion and retention of students in South Carolina and other states. Recommends alternatives to retention and considerations for policy development. Includes a discussion of legal issues, a list of six recommendations, and a reference list. (MD)

Public school students have completed this year's testing under the 2003-04 Wisconsin Student Assessment System "Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations" (WKCE). These examinations were administered at grades 4, 8, and 10 as required by s. 118.30, Wis. Stats. The test results will provide important information about what students know and…

Although research indicates that retention has little educational value for children, the retention process and rate continue to escalate. Retention consequences are devastating and pervasive. The paper discusses decisions regarding retention and notes positive alternatives (e.g., parental involvement, modifications in instructional practices and…

A Michigan elementary school has developed an unusual six-tier grading structure to accommodate the needs of children at different stages of development. They provide half-step classrooms that allow students to move forward in school at a rate that allows success. (MD)

Retention practices are poorly documented yet the most comprehensive research on retention (Holmes and Mathews) shows that children who repeat a grade make less progress than similar children who are promoted. Explores the contradiction existing between school reform policy and actual retention practice. (MD)

This bilingual (English and Spanish) brochure explains why retention is common among migrant students and what parents can do to help their children succeed in school. By second grade, nearly 50 percent of migrant students in the nation are older than their classmates and only about 50 percent of migrant students graduate from high school.…

Reviews issues relative to retention of schoolchildren. Includes a historical perspective on the retention-promotion controversy, information on retention policies and retention prevalence rates, a review of research on the effectiveness of retention, and a discussion of factors that should be considered by psychologists making retention and…

Certain conclusions can be drawn from the fact that both entering school late and being retained in grade have negative effects on children. Children should start school as soon as they are eligible. Retention should be avoided whenever possible. The best alternative to retention in grade seems to be promotion in combination with individual…

This teacher's guide reviews the literature on grade retention and promotion to help teachers make decisions concerning students in the primary grades. A brief introduction provides a statement of the problem; outlines the purpose, organization, and limitations of the study; and presents a glossary. Annotated citations for 34 studies are…

Competency testing is only one component of competency-based education (CBE); the others are: educational objectives, instructional process, remedial instruction, and program evaluation/reconceptualization. To implement only competency testing may result in disillusionment with the entire concept of CBE, which seeks to improve programs, not fail…

This guide presents the Department of Education's strategy for ending social promotion in public schools. It opens with a description of social promotion and the pervasiveness and the consequences of this practice. The volume outlines the high standards that all students should be held to and emphasizes the importance of creating reliable measures…