School districts in the U.S. are mandated to identify young children with disabilities. Developmental screeners are typically used to screen for such skill deficits. Academic tests are used in older students. A significant challenge is identifying children with potential learning disabilities early in their school career. This study identifies a…

Students retained in their grade in the elementary and middle schools of the Kirkwood School District (Missouri) are profiled in this report. The data, provided by principals, counselors, and teachers in the eight schools involved, cover the school years 1978-79 to 1983-84. Of the 439 students affected, 53 percent were retained in either…

This study examines the demographic, academic, social, and behavioral differences between GED (General Educational Development) candidates who were and were not retained in grade. Differences between candidates who were and were not retained in grade are examined with regard to factors such as demographics, delinquent behaviors, reasons for…

This study examined the long-term effect of retention/promotion decisions on the academic achievement of primary grade students. First, second, and third grade retainees were matched on several variables with same-age students who were not retained. Results indicated that retained students significantly improve their relative class standing by the…

This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to investigate the effects of early motherhood on the academic and behavioral outcomes of these mothers' children. The NLSY follows 12,686 young people who were age 14-21 years in 1979 with annual or biannual interviews. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and poor…

Student retention has been a divisive educational question since the turn of the century. And although early educators found that retention was not particularly effective, they continued using it because their options were limited. Today, educators have many options to retention. Using the database from Project STAR, a study explored the common…

This study examined the impact of grade repetition or retention on the subsequent academic performance of students in rural and urban areas in northeast Tennessee. A total of 40 students who were retained in grades 3 or 5 during the 1985-1986 school year, and 70 students who were not retained, completed the Stanford Achievement Test yearly between…

Over 75 percent of the students enrolling as freshmen in Chicago's public high schools during 1978, 1979, and 1980 made up the sample for a study of the student characteristics that affected dropout rates. The characteristics assessed were reading achievement (as indicated by eighth-grade standardized test scores), age at enrollment in high…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) is now in its third year of study on the effects of a new retention policy adopted in 1981-82. Reviewing the results of the first two years led to the conclusion that traditional methods of studying retention might not be the most appropriate. These evaluations have primarily focused on the impact of…

This study examined the reactions and feelings of students and their parents in regard to the nonpromotion experience. Families from four different school districts with children who had been retained at least once in grades one through eight were selected for the study. A total of 52 individuals from 22 families participated in 46 separate,…

Retention of students began soon after the introduction of graded elementary schools in the mid-1800s. As early as 1911, research started to show that retention failed to remedy the difficulties of academic achievement and social adjustment exposed through graded schools. Educators today have a number of options other than retention designed to…

Many schools across the United States have created a new grade between kindergarten and first grade, called transition classes, to deal with low-achieving kindergarten and first-grade students. Upon completion of the transition class, students return to a regular class, where they usually remain a year behind their age cohorts. This paper presents…

Children who have been retained even at the kindergarten or first grade level, regardless of their socioeconomic status, are at risk of dropping out later on. Alternative or pullout programs may not be suitable compensatory approaches for preventing school dropouts. Five changes will help to mitigate the effects of retention on student dropouts.…

This study examines retention rates in Dade County (Florida) schools, using aggregate statistical data for the school years 1982-83 through 1988-89 to describe existing patterns and changes over time. An earlier study established commonalities of pattern across grades, over great disparities of circumstances, and across time. The following…

Retaining students in New York City public schools is an intensely debated issue. Each year an increasing number of students are retained in grade. The objective of this paper is to analyze the New York City Board of Education promotion policy as a way to assess whether and how it is being implemented. Current research and a teacher-made survey…