We characterize the extent to which Black-White gaps for multiple educational outcomes are linked across school districts in the United States. Gaps in disciplinary action, grade-level retention, classification into special education and Gifted and Talented, and Advanced Placement course-taking are large in magnitude and correlated. Racial…

With increased rigor and accountability standards in elementary school, the kindergarten curriculum has similarly become more demanding. These increased demands have augmented concerns that young children may not be able to cope with the demands of formal schooling. One way to address concerns about school readiness is by altering a child's…

Using longitudinal data, this study examined the enrolment status of individual children left behind in the global trend towards 'quality education'. The study identified common characteristics among dropouts as well as the existence of children who managed to complete primary education but could not progress smoothly. Among them, some children's…

This study compared the summer learning rates of students who attended Houston Independent School District (HISD) 2016 summer school to similar students who did not attend, for both promoted and retained students. For students between 1st and 2nd grade and those between 2nd and 3rd grade, summer learning rates were faster for both promoted and…

Research on multigrade in comparison to singlegrade classes often overlooks the issues and challenges facing the nation's educational authorities in administering these classes. The purpose of this study was to compare multi and singlegrade classes in terms of educational efficiency and effectiveness. The population of this study consisted of all…

Grade retention, the practice of requiring a student to remain in the same grade the following year, disproportionately affects students with sociodemographic risk and facing academic challenges. Each year, the United States spends $20 billion on retention and two million children are retained. Extant studies examining early elementary grade…

This exploratory-descriptive retrospective study examined the demographic, school-related, psychosocial risk factors, and service referrals among elementary school children (N=2,861) at risk for continued truancy. The study purposed to investigate the domains of staying in school and progressing in school, constructs associated with eventual…

In the past 15 years, four-year-olds' enrollment in state-funded pre-kindergarten in the United States has doubled, and advocates have pushed for further expansion. Although research has shown that pre-K programs can have important benefits, most existing studies have focused on small or state-specific programs that may not generalize to other…

Grade retention, the practice of requiring a student to remain in the same grade the following year, disproportionately affects students with sociodemographic risk and facing academic challenges. Each year, the United States spends $20 billion on retention and two million children are retained. Extant studies examining early elementary grade…

In several countries, students are tracked into secondary school types. This paper studies whether parents or teachers assess students' potential performance more adequately. We evaluate a reform in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2006. The reform replaced parents' choice about their children's school type by a binding teacher…

Timor-Leste is a small state that finally achieved independence in 2002. It has had to re-build an entire education system from a small base largely destroyed in the independence struggle. This paper presents the issues identified in pre-independence meetings, and considers these within the framework of transition and transformation problems for a…

There are racial/ethnic disparities associated with school punishment practices and academic progress. In addition, research suggests that urban schools have stricter school punishment practices and higher grade retention rates. What remains unknown, however, is the relationship between race/ethnicity, school punishment practices, and retention…

In a randomized-controlled trial we tested a computer-assisted intervention for the prevention of reading difficulties, delivered by nonprofessional tutors, running from kindergarten to halfway Grade 2. The full sample included 123 prereaders (M = 5; 6 years; 56 intervention; 67 controls) with low preliteracy skills. Parents were sent a…

Low-income and racial/ethnic minority children are at increased risk of experiencing summer reading loss or declined reading levels due to time away from school. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 6-week summer reading program would help children maintain or improve reading levels. Four-hundred-fourteen African American and…

Recent decades have seen rapid growth of national participation in international tests as well as expanded national assessment testing. This article addresses the relationship between these forms of testing and educational developments: educational enrollments, women's participation in schooling, repetition rates, student centrism in the…