Oklahoma implemented universal pre-K in 1998. It is one of only five states that has or is implementing universal preschool, and for several years has served more four-year-old children than any other state. The organization, Community Action Project (CAP) Tulsa, occupies a unique position in this work. As one of the largest anti-poverty agencies…

Those who decide to keep a child in an elementary grade for an additional year do so despite very persuasive research evidence that negative effects consistently outweigh positive outcomes. Retention suggests the student is solely responsible and is therefore a punishment rather than a solution. (MT)

Describes Buena Park School District's (Orange County, California) implementation of an alternative intervention program (Gaining on Academic Learning) to retain and promote at-risk elementary students. Includes description of organizational structure, assessment-driven instruction, student support systems, and program effectiveness. (PKP)

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)

Describes a collaborative project between Canadian elementary and junior high school counselors designed to ease the transition between elementary and junior high school. The orientation program included school visits and tours, counseling sessions, a buddy system, and a concentrated effort to combat rumors. (JAC)

Discusses looping, or multiyear assignment of children, as a strategy to ease the retention/social-promotion dilemma. Multiyear assignment gives teachers extra time to bring low-performing students up to grade level and develop stable, caring relationships with students. A suburban Kansas school's successful program is profiled. (24 references)…

Examines the rise and demise of schools devoted to the instruction of young children in the British Colony of South Australia from 1836-1901 particularly focusing on the age-graded school system. Discusses the development of the "junior scholar" and the problems encountered with the transition to senior grades in elementary schools. (CMK)

Reviews historic approaches to grade retention, what research does and does not show about retention, and some factors to weigh when considering retention. Focuses on models developed by H. Wayne Light and Laurence Lieberman. Includes a sample elementary school promotion policy and a sample retention referral form. (IW)

The Social Circle (Georgia) School System is in the first year of full implementation of mastery learning in reading and mathematics for grades K-5. In response to a state mandate for competency-based education, the board of education adopted a program which included mastery learning and promotion standards. In order to fulfill the goal of…