This article: (1) profiles kindergarten policies and practices currently implemented in district schools; (2) analyzes the research supporting the major policy alternatives for six common kindergarten and school entry age issues that all school districts must address; and (3) identifies the optimum policy option alternative for each issue based on…

The application of rational methods to improve student outcomes in a school district is described. Issues in school reform development are addressed, followed by a description of a restructuring program implemented in the Charleston County (South Carolina) School District to reduce grade retention and the dropout rate. The program was evaluated by…

Using information gathered through a study funded by the New Zealand Minister of Education, this document examines the history and implementation of the New Zealand government's 1:20 teacher-pupil ratio policy first set in motion in 1985, pupil progress associated with the policy, and related literature about class size. The following papers, each…

Affective and academic outcomes of grade retention were studied using the High School and Beyond (HSB) data set--a large, nationally representative sample of students. More specifically, the study: compared the academic (achievement and educational attainment) and affective (educational aspirations) outcomes of retained and non-retained students,…

Based on research by the Migrant Education Secondary Assistance (MESA) project, this report presents final recommendations for the improvement of migrant student graduation rates and secondary education. The strongest areas of need revealed in MESA findings were: (1) better identification and recruitment of secondary migrant students and dropouts;…

The curriculum now being taught in many kindergartens is profoundly different from what it was two decades ago. The kindergarten classroom, once conceived of as a play- and group adjustment-oriented setting, may now also be a classroom with an "academic" approach, characterized by direct teaching of discrete skills with specific…

This monograph reviews pertinent research and issues concerning grade retention in an effort to understand the implications for retention and promotion policies, especially in elementary schools. The monograph discusses 11 topics, including: (1) the historical context of retention and promotion; (2) the link between grade retention and dropouts;…

Why is it that fewer girls than boys enter and stay in school? What may be done to further increase the school enrollment of girls in developing countries? The answers to these questions constitute the central focus of this paper. It first documents sex differences in primary school participation and wastage rates in developing countries.…

The effects of kindergarten-grade 1 transitional classrooms in Eugene (Oregon) compared with retention or promotion of students to grade 1 were studied in an evaluation of two transitional classrooms. Focus was on determining the effects of retention, transition, and promotion on student achievement and social skills. Students entering a…

In evaluating its first year of the Student Progress Plan (SPP), the District of Columbia Public Schools found that more students were promoted under SPP than would have been promoted under the traditional policy. Implemented in grades 1-3 in 125 schools as part of the school district's competency-based curriculum, SPP is a skills mastery plan in…

This report presents the evaluation results of the 1979-80 Title I program in grades one, two, three and seven in the District of Columbia Public School system. Part One describes program objectives and services and the evaluation design and procedures. A description of the population served by Title I is included in Part Two. Achievement gains in…

The education dollar is poorly spent when students drop out of school, and even more poorly spent when students repeat grades. A review of the research on student promotion and grade repetition discloses two basic philosophies underpinning practices in this area. Those arguing for grade repetition assume that academic factors determine success and…

A questionnaire was designed to survey Logan County (Kentucky) students who withdrew from school during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 school years. Of the 130 survey instruments circulated, 37 (28%) were returned. A comparison of six demographic variables, based on school records, revealed that the respondents and the original population were similar on…

A survey of the dropout situation in Ohio in 1962-63 is reported. Data are presented on dropout rate, month of dropout, and age, grade, and grade repetition. Also discussed are test information, attendance and discipline, maturity, family background, reasons for leaving school, future plans and activities of dropouts, and the exit interview.…

A series of methods and techniques for measuring educational wastage are presented step-by-step. Some considerations on the conceptual framework of this problem in statistical terms are presented, and tentative definitions for certain terms are also given. Examples taken from published material and recent surveys showing the extent of grade…