A study compared two groups of children in an urban elementary school who were unready for second grade at the conclusion of first grade. A group of 15 students was retained in first grade while another group of 45 students was promoted to second grade. The California Achievement Test was used to measure the reading ability of both groups at the…

The benefits of pre-first programs and grade retentions are not consistently supported in the research literature. Study investigates the short- and long-term effects of pre-first programs on students' (n=66) academic achievement in reading and mathematics. No significant differences were found in six of the eight analyses conducted, indicating…

As part of a larger study, this paper examines the factors that determine promotion decisions at the end of first grade. Determinants of first grade failure are of particular interest because at this stage there are alternatives to failure. (Author/RWB)

This study was begun in the Fall of 1985 to determine the long-term effects of retention in one of the six COOR Intermediate School District Areas (Roscommon, Michigan). The major focus is on academic achievement as measured by the California Achievement (CA) Test, which has been given to every kindergarten through eighth grade student in the…