The use of an accelerated learning programme as an intervention to allow failing students to repeat a module in an accelerated format instead of having to redo a module over a semester or academic year has various academic, economic, and social benefits. Accelerated learning programmes are, however, often criticised in the literature for surface…

As of 2021, eighteen states plus the District of Columbia have implemented legislation regarding mandatory test-based grade retention focusing on minimum reading proficiency levels (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2019) with many of those policies targeting the third-grade year. While grade retention has been largely viewed negatively…

With the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) known as No Child Left Behind, Every Student Succeeds Act, and other school reforms, rigorous demands are placed upon administrators and educators when students do not make Adequate Yearly Progress. In trying to follow state goals to enhance students' academic…

Research Finding: The present study estimates the long-term effects of Chile's national public Early Childhood Care and Education program (ECCE) on children academic achievement, grade retention and school dropouts, to better understand if ECCE is helping reduce the socioeconomic achievement gap. The present study uses a quasi-experimental design…

Background: Over the last twenty years, retention has increased in popularity with policymakers who are concerned with student achievement and aim to end social promotion (i.e., the practice of advancing a student to the next grade level although they have not yet met the academic expectations of their current grade level). Despite calls to expand…

Background/Context: Students designated as English Learners (ELs) account for 10.4 percent of all students nationwide but have historically been provided unequal access to educational resources (Gándara et al., 2003; National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Further, education policies are often blind to ELs' strengths and challenges,…

This Information Capsule reviews the research conducted on elementary level grade retention. Research findings on the effect of retention on elementary students' outcomes are inconsistent. One widely accepted conclusion is that when retention occurs, it should be accompanied by additional interventions designed to increase students' academic…

This report includes findings regarding demographic characteristics and academic outcomes of Twilight students; highlights emerging topics from the student, teacher, and staff surveys; and provides recommendations for future program implementation.

As states have upgraded their commitment to pre-K education over the past two decades, questions have arisen. Critics argue that program effects are likely to fade out or disappear over time, while supporters contend that program effects are likely to persist under certain conditions. Using data from Tulsa Public Schools, three neighboring school…

Research reveals that grade retention as a sole intervention for low achieving students is not sufficient to improve student achievement (Jimerson, 200l). This study used a qualitative design (Marshall & Rossman, 2011) to examine the phenomenon of grade retention and intervention approaches for low achieving students in Connecticut school…

In this paper we use data from students who participated in the oversubscribed Boston Public Schools (BPS) prekindergarten program as a window into variation in the program's medium-term effects. We first examine whether, for the sample of students who applied to oversubscribed BPS prekindergarten programs, there is variation in the effects of the…

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs are school-based preventive interventions that aim to improve children's social-emotional skills and behavioral development. Although meta-analytic research has shown that SEL programs can improve academic and behavioral outcomes in the short term, few studies have examined program effects on receipt of…

Using technology to deliver instruction in schools has become increasingly popular. Students are required to use online programs, textbooks and apps as part of their classwork and homework. BYOD (bring your own device) school policies have filled classrooms and hallways with students carrying smart phones, laptops and iPads. The increased reliance…

This paper evaluates the role that an after-school may play in the educational outcomes of children living in poor suburbs. Previous evaluations have focused on average effects, with mixed findings. A possible explanation of these inconclusive findings is that after-school programmes may have heterogeneous effects. Our hypothesis is that the…

The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of effective graduation coaches (GCs) and credit recovery programs and explain the influence of a GC and a credit recovery program on Grade 9 students at risk of dropping out. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a high school GC and enrollment in a credit recovery…