This publication focuses on the retention/promotion debate regarding failing and low-achieving students. An introductory essay describes the inherent limitation in the research done on this issue--the impossibility of obtaining an appropriate control group--and suggests that the retention/promotion quandary can best be resolved by accommodating…

Pennsylvania's alternative education programs for youths with disciplinary problems have increased three-fold in the last five years. This publication includes descriptions of 36 such programs, chosen to be representative of the variety of programs operating in the state's schools. Each program description identifies the district, coordinator,…

The education of students is fundamental to shaping a preferred provincial, national and global future. It is also essential in maintaining Alberta's standard of living and ensuring its global competitiveness. The education system must simultaneously prepare the citizens of tomorrow while equipping the students with the knowledge and skills they…

An evaluation of the developmental first grade, or pre-first grade, program of the Irving Independent School District (Texas) was conducted through four studies. Students are placed in the pre-first grade as a transition between kindergarten and first grade, typically on the basis of some assessment of maturity. The first study examined the…

In order to identify factors which indicate a student would benefit educationally from retention, and to provide information and recommendations to educators, parents, and others involved in the decision to retain a child, this paper addresses the issue of retention in four major areas: the historical basis of retention, negative and positive…

Academic decisions related to grouping, grading, and student promotion are discussed in this legal memorandum for secondary school principals. Federal and state court cases involving enrollment, student placement, promotion, grading, graduation, and gender-based classification are examined. Conclusions are that judges tend to respect an educator's…

A workshop attended by faculty members from three Florida junior colleges and one university was held in response to legislation requiring students to demonstrate minimum communications and computation skills before entering upper division programs. General conclusions reached during the workshop focused on the value of competency testing in…

The purpose of this document is to present to school personnel, parents, students, and other interested citizens the board rules and administrative procedures required to implement state legislative and local board pupil progression requirements. Sections of the document cover general procedures for promotions and assignments; promotion and…

This study was a follow-up to one that gathered baseline data on aspects of Grade 1 as part of the on-going Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS). While the Grade 1 study was limited to teachers' perceptions of student performance, this follow-up focused on factors most related to actual end-of-year student status. The purposes of the…

The Pupil Progression Plan detailed in this document was developed in response to Florida's Educational Accountability Act, which requires each school district to establish a comprehensive program for pupil progression, and to fulfill the requirements of school board policy. The first section details general procedures for promotion, grades K-12.…

The progress of children through the grades of the public schools and the stage of advancement at which they quit school are matters of great educational and economic importance, and enlist the interest of both school officers and taxpayers. If many children fail to accomplish any part of the work of the school in the time prescribed, it may be…

Compared children retained in kindergarten with matched samples of age and grade mates, using teacher ratings as an index of their social and academic skills. Found that retained children showed a reduction in behavior problems, specifically acting-out and shy-anxious behaviors, but only slightly increased competence for task orientation across…

Overviews challenges facing foreign language educators, including lack of a shared framework, dominance of the curriculum by textbooks, inaccurate student placement, yearly repetition of course content, and lack of a consensus on what students should achieve. A new articulation and achievement project has made progress in solving these problems.…

Methods used to rectify imbalances in student proficiency levels within and between courses are described. One year after changes were made in promotion and placement procedures, examination development, and course and program objectives, course enrollment patterns improved, and there was evidence of improved student achievement in higher level…

Processes and criteria used in assigning students to honors English classes in 5 communities (n=approximately 1,800 students) were studied through qualitative and quantitative data. Similarities and differences in the five districts are detailed, with attention to past ability-group positions and the role of socioeconomic status. (SLD)