As mandated by state law, the Texas Education Agency presents a summary of data relating to grade-level retention of students reported by grade, ethnicity, and gender. The reported total number of students who repeated a grade in Texas schools in 1992-93 was 118,888. An additional 3,243 students, or 1.24% of the first grade, were placed in…

The analysis of proposed or implemented programs for increasing the achievement of at-risk students in all grades is the purpose of this report. Its focus is on identifying effective organizational responses, programs, and practices that improve the achievement of all at-risk children. Schools currently respond to poor academic performance with…

This case study describes an innovative school entry system in which children are registered at school according to their stage of development, not their age. The system was introduced by law in Hungary in 1986. In this study, an introduction is followed by a discussion of problems in curricular articulation. Problems are discussed in terms of the…

In 1982, the Maryland State Department of Education initiated a longitudinal study of its Extended Elementary Education prekindergarten program. The study was designed to examine the school performances of program participants and members of a comparable nonpreschool group. At the time of this analysis, study participants were 16 years of age.…

The Austin (Texas) Independent School District's (AISD) programs that were developed as alternatives to retention in grade for low-achieving students were studied. The AISD had 19 elementary transition classes (all-day classes, language arts, and language arts/mathematics) in 17 schools for 282 first and second graders in 1987-88. The Transitional…

Grade retention data were collected from the Campbell River, British Columbia schools to determine the prevalence of retention and its effect on school completion. An extensive survey was administered to 52 parents and 204 educators to assess attitudes towards grade retention. Individual interviews were conducted with eight teachers from various…

The longitudinal effects of Louisiana's Compensatory/Remedial Program upon student performance were assessed using data from four administrations of the Basic Skills Test (BST) between 1982 and 1985. Language arts and mathematics tests were administered in grades 2 through 5. Scores increased slightly between 1982 and 1984, and declined in 1985;…

Twelve papers from the Inter-American Development Bank's second seminar on educational finance in Latin America and the Caribbean analyze and present statistical data in two broad areas. First, they examine the relationships among Latin America's expanding educational programs, their costs and financing, and each country's socioeconomic…

The present situation in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) regarding primary school drop-out and repetition, with special reference to the situation of the girl child, is examined in this study. The in-school as well as out-of-school causes of primary school drop-out are examined, and solutions that help reduce or eliminate the…

This report includes an executive summary and describes results of a 1988 study of transition activities provided by public schools to enhance the continuity experienced by children as they move from preschool, day care, home, or other previous experience into kindergarten. Chapter 1 offers background information, including definitions of terms,…

This packet of educational research information is designed for everyone interested in education and may be utilized for a quick read, private study, staff meetings, inservice courses or small group discussions. The leaflets and brief reports are listed on a contents sheet as follows: "Twin Studies of Spelling"; "Moment-by-moment…

This bulletin examines some questions that arise when children are not ready for promotion: Should they be retained? Who decides? Are there alternatives to retention? What is the effect of retention on the student? Despite research limitations, those who examine the studies on grade repetition say they show that grade retention does not have a…

This study examined the factors contributing to the early school adjustment of children at risk of school failure from preschool enrollment to fourth grade. A longitudinal model that used data on 1,255 low-income, minority children was tested in an effort to bring about an improved understanding of the factors that influence a wide range of early…

This information packet contains nine articles that outline current trends in kindergarten retention/exclusion and their negative impact on student outcomes, particularly for high risk students. The 1980s saw increasing numbers of children required to repeat kindergarten, attend a transitional grade before first grade, or wait an extra year before…

Many professionals are convinced that more testing, tracking, and retention are taking place in the early school years than ever before. They also believe that developmentally inappropriate modifications to curricula are being implemented. As a result of inappropriate use of standardized tests, disproportionate numbers of poor and minority…