The recently released results of the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) comparison of educational achievement across 65 countries has brought renewed attention to the achievement gap and recommended changes to improve U.S. performance. The U.S. was well down in the middle of the pack for reading, math, and science while…

According to these scenarios, the heart attack victim has a better chance of surviving than the child facing grade retention. Despite parental objections and research studies showing that children held back are three time as likely to drop out of school than children who are promoted, the antiquated practice of grade repetition continues. (MLH)

Suggests there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to grade-repetition problems. A 12-step program to help principals implement high standards and help most students achieve them calls for placing incoming students in the most appropriate grade or program, having programs to meet varied needs, hiring teachers who use varied teaching methods,…

Describes two programs that serve as alternatives to social promotion or retention for at-risk students. The Spotswood Elementary School in Harrisonburg, Virginia, uses a team approach to meet needs of low-performing students. The Excel program in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a 15-month enrichment program for at-risk students designed to yield a…

Grade retention and delayed entry to kindergarten are two of the major causes of overaged students in middle school. While data is often difficult to obtain, the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 reported that 20 percent of all eighth graders had repeated at least one grade (Wheelock 1998). In South Carolina, where students are…

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)

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)

Reviews the history of grade repetition as a remedy for inadequate student achievement, examines recent trends in grade repetition policies, cites research findings relating to the effectiveness of grade repetition, clarifies the responsibilities of school personnel in making grade repetition decisions, and discusses alternatives to simple…