The relationship between high stakes testing and retention was studied in Florida in the context of educational reform and controversy over the effectiveness of retaining students in grade. The focus was on the relationship between the percentage of students in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8 falling below the 50th percentile on the Stanford Achievement…

This study examined kindergarten retention rates and their relationship to teacher beliefs and classroom practice. Data from a sub-sample of 22 teachers in a rural Georgia school district, who were classified as exhibiting either high or low levels of developmental appropriateness in their teaching, suggested that teachers whose practices were…

This study used linked maternal-child data from the 1997-1998 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to explore the wellbeing of children born to teenage mothers. Two econometric techniques explored the causal impact of early childbearing on subsequent child and adolescent outcomes. First, a fixed-effect, cousin-comparison analysis controlled for…

Raising the age of eligibility to enter kindergarten has not eliminated variations in children's readiness for school, and parents and teachers have used delayed entry and retention as strategies to accommodate these variations. Information from the 1993 and 1995 National Household Education Survey is used to describe the numbers and…

Viewing standards from the perspective of classroom teachers, this book discusses the need to alter middle school culture to facilitate meaningful improvements in the teaching-learning environment. It emphasizes efforts by middle grades educators to make schools and classrooms places where more students work harder to do work of higher quality…

Nine states and three of the nation's biggest cities have adopted mandates intended to end "social promotion"? promoting students to the next grade level regardless of their academic proficiency. These policies require students in certain grades to reach a minimum benchmark on a standardized test in order to move on to the next grade. Florida,…

This report takes an in-depth look at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teachers' responses to the high-stakes-testing initiatives and the impact on students' school experiences. It examines teachers and principals' assessments of the policy, tracks changes in instructional practice over time, and examines trends in critical student indices. The report…

This report contains the retention and graduation patterns of full-time undergraduate students at Maryland's public four-year colleges and universities from 1982 to 2002. Specifically, it looks at the number and percentage of students who were retained at their original public four-year campus and those who graduated from any senior public college…

Light's retention scale does not meet standards for a psychometric device for schools. Possibly because of low reliability, the total score was not found to have concurrent validity. The scale needs revision in item content to be accepted by teachers. (Author)

Re-examines whether or not early retention results in positive long-term academic and behavioral outcomes for a subgroup of kindergarten children with attention problems. Results do not support the notion that pre-elementary school retention is a beneficial educational intervention for children with academic and/or behavior difficulties. (RJM)

Addresses the area of dispute over students who were forced to repeat a grade or two due to their disability, and now wish to participate in high school athletics after reaching the state athletic associations's age limit. Reviews federal statutes as they apply to high school athletic associations. Examines two recent decisions. (79 footnotes)…

Policies such as raising of entrance age, readiness screening, and kindergarten retention are intended to solve the problem of inappropriate academic demand by removing younger or unready children from the regular classroom. Research evidence does not support the efficacy of these policies. (RH)

Investigated the effects of the Chicago Child Parent Center and Expansion Program for six social competence outcomes up to two years postprogram. Duration of intervention was significantly and positively associated with reading and mathematics achievement, teacher ratings of school adjustment, parental involvement in school activities, grade…

Best way to prevent high school students from dropping out is to address problems at elementary or middle school. At-risk students do not differ greatly from other middle-school students but need specific individualized assistance with academic skills and warm, nurturing advocate to help build self-esteem and achieve success in school work. Middle…

This article examines student retention in grades, presenting five suggestions for dealing with the fact that it continues despite evidence that it is not beneficial. Strategies include closing the gap between research and practice, implementing remediation programs, implementing success strategies, and restructuring classroom organization. (SM)