Investigates the effects of state education policies on grade repetition rates. Finds, for example, that school entrance month has significant impact on probability of student having to repeat a grade, an impact due largely to the relative age of the student. Finds no impact of variations in state policies on grade repetition rates. (Contains 25…

Argues that under certain conditions, high standards and demanding assessment can hurt rather than help low-achieving students. Discusses three practices educators and policymakers should avoid: requiring students to repeat a grade, placing students in low-track classes, and holding students accountable for material not yet taught. (Contains 13…

The academic benefits of grade retention are doubtful. Researchers have found that a low percentage of retained students achieve at a higher rate and that many regress. Parents should request a multidisciplinary evaluation before allowing a child to be retained. (JD)

A recent "Kappan" Survey of 276 elementary, middle, and senior high schools found that between 25 to 35 percent of the 22,018 students surveyed are seriously at risk. Teachers and other staff dealing with at-risk students lacked confidence and information concerning students' lives. Grade retention practices proved detrimental to students.…

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 with hierarchical linear modeling, this study identified individual-level and school-level variables influencing the decision to drop out of middle school. At the individual level, grade retention is the single most powerful predictor. (SLD)

Sometimes, parents must decide whether to have their child repeat a grade. Research indicates children who stay back do not do better than comparable children who are promoted and retention can have a very negative effect. The article guides parents on what to do and ask in such a situation. (SM)

Shows how multiage grouping in the primary grades can support school improvement. Acknowledging chronological age as a crude indicator of learning readiness, multiage programs emphasize grouping children within classes based on readiness, interest, and/or acquired knowledge. This article explains program benefits, disadvantages, implementation…

Examines school performance and behavior of children with low birthweights (less than 2500 grams), compared with a group of normal-birthweight children, using 1988 Health Interview Survey data and controlling for family socioeconomic characteristics. Low-birthweight children are more likely to repeat a grade and attend special-education classes,…

Examines some negative consequences of North Carolina's statewide testing system, based on perceptions of 236 elementary teachers. Respondents reported high levels of stress and lower morale, a narrowed curriculum, and decreased student love of learning. They also believed widespread grade repetition was inevitable. (Contains 15 references.) (MLH)

Ending all social promotion is ill-advised. A responsible decision on grade retention should be based on factors such as a child's age, health, maturity, testing readiness, previous academic performance, and available emedial services. Many retained children do not show enough improvement to justify the practice. (MLH)

Examined parents' school involvement by family type and explored the association between their involvement and whether students get mostly A's, have ever repeated a grade, or have ever been suspended or expelled. Data from the National Household Education Survey indicate that school involvement is not the same across family types, and that…

Several recent articles articles have emphasized that educators must begin to speak out strongly about the direction that the standards movement is taking. While many positive outcomes have been realized as education has become more accountable, a series of recent education policy decisions have flown directly in the face of many years of…

Policies that mandate in-grade retention of low-performing students have become central components of standards-based reforms across the country. While educational researchers have extensively studied the student-level correlates of retention and the consequences of retention for student achievement, little attention has been focused on…

This study examined the school experiences and academic achievement of 46 adolescents in families who experienced homelessness and 87 permanently housed adolescents whose families received public assistance. Measures taken after the homeless students were rehoused showed that both groups valued school highly and were similar in cognitive abilities…

This study investigated self-harming behaviors in 149 female adolescent victims of sexual abuse, first, by determining the rates of nine types of self-mutilating behavior at intake and nine months later and, second, by investigating comorbidity of clinical correlates associated with these behaviors. The adolescents were divided into three groups…