Competency testing is only one component of competency-based education (CBE); the others are: educational objectives, instructional process, remedial instruction, and program evaluation/reconceptualization. To implement only competency testing may result in disillusionment with the entire concept of CBE, which seeks to improve programs, not fail…

Texas has apparently achieved great success in closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, at least in the lower grades. Texas students in all grades have made substantial gains on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The effect of TAAS-type accountability on student performance in the higher grades is important,…

This policy study looks at existing and emerging state policies on social promotion to determine the extent to which students with disabilities are included or excluded. Results reflect the status of state polices at one point in time, as determined from publicly available state documents and statutes of 14 states with promotion policies. The…

To investigate the potential effects of the "Fourth Grade Reading Guarantee," an Ohio policy that mandates that students will not be promoted to grade 5 unless they reach a given score on the Ohio Proficiency Test (OPT) in reading at grade 4, a series of studies was performed in the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 school years. The extent of…

This guide presents the Department of Education's strategy for ending social promotion in public schools. It opens with a description of social promotion and the pervasiveness and the consequences of this practice. The volume outlines the high standards that all students should be held to and emphasizes the importance of creating reliable measures…

A standards-based exit policy was implemented in an urban district in the northwestern United States. This paper considers the second year of implementation with a group of 2,581 students in the fifth grade. Of these, 104 were identified as not having the skills to exit fifth grade. Reading achievement as measured by two tests, the Iowa Tests of…

"Communique" is the "official newsletter of the National Association of School Psychologists" (NASP). This "Special Edition" of "Communique" is a compilation of previously published articles all of which bear on information frequently requested by families. NASP is dedicated to building partnerships between…

Teachers appear to decide whether or not to promote girls partly on the basis of their behavior and not just on their achievement. Study compared boys and girls and their respective behaviors in the classroom as they influenced teachers to promote or retain them. (Author/RK)

Studies comparing the reading, mathematics, and language arts achievement of retained students with the achievement of promoted students are analyzed, using meta-analysis. Overall, research indicates that retained students fall behind the first year of retention and spend the rest of their academic careers in a vain attempt to catch up. (PP)

In response to the problems of nonpromotion, a school district near Rochester, New York introduced the transition class (TC) as a placement alternative after kindergarten for students not ready for the grade one program. Follow-up evaluation investigated the effects of four treatment conditions over a six-year period. (Author)

In a social system that rewards participation instead of quality, student response to academic failure is based on two basic assumptions: (1) participation should guarantee passing, and (2) academic failure equals failure as a person. There are implications for schools, students, staff, and society as a whole. (SB)

Reviews popular literature-based propositions pertaining to student retention and non-retention. Surveys the scope of the problem of retention and suggests that retaining a child so as to repeat an unsuccessful experience is inappropriate, whereas retaining a child and using resources to correct well-documented, individual problems is appropriate.…

Examines the effects of nonpromotion on achievement and effort of junior high school students. Finds that students who were retained improved significantly with respect to academic achievement and effort when compared to students who had been considered for retention but had been promoted. (KEH)

This study examined self-esteem at 13 and 18 years of age among 340 gifted students. Results found no differential change in self-esteem according to whether or not students experienced academic acceleration. Analysis of students' self-perceptions of other personality characteristics also yielded no differential correlation to acceleration status.…