High School graduation rates are key indicators of accountability for high schools and school districts in Oregon. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) implemented the cohort method of calculating graduation rates. The cohort method identifies the year the student entered high school for the first time…

In recent years, education data have become both more easily accessible and more important than ever to decisions about K-12 policies and practice. Under the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA), states are required to publish data on how students, including English Learners (ELs), are performing in areas such as reading, math, and…

The importance of cooperative and honest interaction between a school and parents in making a good decision about whether or not to retain a child is emphasized. The roles of school and parents are defined. An inset box summarizes research findings on retention and lists other alternatives to promotion. (MT)

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…

Description of, and guidelines for, a preventative early intervention program designed to provide a strong academic, social, and emotional foundation for postkindergarten students considered to be at risk for future academic difficulties. (Author/DCS)

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…

Sometimes, parents must decide whether to have their child repeat a grade. Research indicates children who stay back do not do better than comparable children who are promoted and retention can have a very negative effect. The article guides parents on what to do and ask in such a situation. (SM)

Outlines the results from a three-year study on the effects of grade repetition. Results show that holding students back helps some students in the short term, but the number helped diminishes over time. Points out that the type of special help offered to students when retained is critical. (MD)

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)

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.…