Led by Chicago Public Schools, many districts have adopted strict retention and promotion policies, often abandoning social-promotion programs that pushed students ahead with their peers regardless of achievement. Research shows that grade repetition is a strong predictor for dropping out. Summer, weekend, and transitional programs are partly…

Many young people in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development leave school unprepared for employment; this constitutes a failure of the school system. Identifies indicators of failure, policies for addressing failure, and three main policy challenges: development of a comparative knowledge base, removal of…

Explored whether there were differences in IQ and achievement (at grades two, five, and seven) between students who delayed school entry and those who were retained in later elementary grades, as well as any interactions with gender. Concluded that instructional reform may be more effective for improving student success. (JBJ)

Evaluates the impact of education policy initiatives on academic achievement and educational equity for Latino students, particularly bilingual learners. Examines the impact of California's Proposition 227 and concurrent laws regarding promotion and retention and approaches to literacy instruction. Suggests that the impact of state and federal…

Examined effects of full-day and half-day kindergarten on 974 second graders' academic outcomes. Found that full-day children scored significantly higher in math and reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and had fewer absences than half-day children. Found that fewer children from full-day cohort had been retained in grade. Found no differences…

Research indicates that while grade retention does not typically increase student performance, it is widely practiced in schools throughout the country. Arguments for retaining a child include immaturity, the belief that an extra year of schooling will produce successful academic outcomes, and failure to meet criteria for promotion. Those who…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has ushered in an era of increased accountability and assumed universal proficiency at a time when there is significant variability in children's abilities as they enter kindergarten. Despite NCLB's emphasis on the use of evidence-based practices to improve students' achievement, it explicitly recommends grade…

Educational policy trends have contributed to rising rates of student grade retention over the past two decades. This research bulletin looks at the evidence about whether and how grade retention may influence the chances that a student would drop out of school. In 1992, evidence indicates that about 20% of 14-year-olds may have experienced a…

This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of Instructional Support Teams (IST) in Pennsylvania, by comparing IST costs to those of traditional special education programs. An introduction notes pressures for change and the objectives of the prereferral intervention utilized in the IST approach. The study compared costs and program effectiveness…

In 1993-94, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) allocated money to four operations areas for five dropout prevention programs for overage ninth graders. Three of the five area dropout programs had positive effects on the dropout rates of students served. The dropout rates for these programs were lower than the sixth six-weeks…

This study examined the efficacy of two educational practices designed to prevent learning difficulties in children from high risk families (N=64) during the first 8 years of life. The preventive treatments included: (1) educational daycare plus family education from birth to age 5 followed by a home/school resource program from kindergarten…

This report summarizes research on the impacts of alternative early intervention programs to prevent school failure. Also considered are the magnitude of estimates of program effects and policy implications of using the programs. The nine principal types of early schooling programs reviewed are those involving: (1) substantial reductions in class…

Data from the 1988 Phi Delta Kappa National Research Study on at-risk students were used in an analysis of variables associated with being classified as "at risk." The study collected information on over 22,000 at-risk and not-at-risk students from 274 schools and 9,600 teachers from across the United States. This analysis identified…

The results of a 2-year study examining the ways that four major urban school systems (New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston) sort students into different schools, tracks, ability groups, and grade levels are summarized in this report. The study looked carefully at the effects of these sorting practices on low-income, minority, limited…

This report discusses the school-to-work transition process of Hispanic youth in Boston. The report was prepared in response to the high rates of unemployment and participation in low-paying service sector jobs by Hispanics and was funded by a grant from the Hispanic Policy Development Project as part of a national effort to identify key public…