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 performance, grade retention is being used to ensure accountability and guarantee that schools are doing their jobs. Despite evidence of its ineffectiveness, grade retention has increased in the past 25 years. Nearly three million students are retained in the United States each year. Given the large number of students affected by this intervention strategy, a study of the effectiveness of grade retention is essential to educational research. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine and gain a better understanding of teachers' perceptions on the use of grade retention as an intervention tool for elementary students. The study also examined the perceived detriments and benefits of grade retention. Data were collected utilizing open-ended, semi-structured interviews. Participants in this study were 12 teachers from a rural school district in Southeastern Alabama. The present study concluded that the study participants were not in total favor for or against grade retention. The participants believed that grade retention could be an effective intervention when used to allow students time to mature, remediate truant students, prepare students to transition to subsequent grades, and help students master grade-level standards. Results also revealed that many educators are not knowledgeable about the research behind grade retention other than it being a district-wide practice. Further studies may consider utilizing a larger sample size and include the perspectives of retained students and their parents. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]