Examined predictors of first- through fourth-grade retention of inner-city public school children. Retained children were more often male and African American and had less educated parents than nonretained children. Children retained in first grade differed from later retainees only in the severity of their initial academic skill deficiencies. (MM)

Compares primary school pupils who have repeated two years of schooling with a normally progressing control group. Uses Harter's scales to measure self-concept and self-worth. Finds no difference between repeating and nonrepeating children in self-worth or between girls and boys. Finds no evidence of systematic loss of self-worth. (NL)

Directed to improve administrative leadership effectiveness, the Philadelphia School District's new regional superintendent determined that participant research and practitioner inquiry would encourage principals, teachers, and support staff to become a community engaged in thinking, learning, and working together to educate urban learners. Staff…

Compared students who attended regular first grade with students who attended a transition classroom. Found that transition children scored lower on reading, language, and mathematics achievement than control children, were more likely to be retained, and were more likely to receive special education services. Most teachers believed transition…

This paper looks at several dimensions of the grade failure issue in Honduras using a unique data set compiled by the UMCE evaluation project in 1998 and 1999. The analytical framework incorporates econometric analysis of standardized tests and teacher pass/fail decisions for roughly 13,000 second and fourth grade students. The results show that…

A sample of 784 children with below-median literacy performance in kindergarten or at the beginning of grade 1 was assessed in 5 areas of psychological and social variables: academic competence, sociodemographic characteristics, social/emotional/behavioral characteristics, school context, and home environment. We examined the contribution of…

Kenya has introduced policies to promote universal primary schooling at least three times since independence. Analysis of enrolments over four decades shows how these initiatives have resulted in gains in participation which have not always been sustained. This study illuminates the dynamics of efforts to increase access to education and acts as a…

This paper reports on a study investigating teacher and student attitudes toward grade retention. Questionnaires were completed by elementary, middle, and high school teachers (N=37), and high school students (N=62). The student population was organized into two groups: (1) grade repeaters; and (2) a control group composed of an equal number of…

The effects of an extra-year transition program after kindergarten on fourth grade students' achievement and self-esteem levels were examined in this study using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and the Stanford Achievement Test. Fourth grade students from a school district in central Alabama who had participated in the extra-year…

The City of Austin (Texas) provided funds for a supplementary educational activity to involve at-risk minority high school students in water quality issues. The program encourages at-risk students to remain in school by providing an interesting and authentic activity to use in the development of academic skills. Program activities included testing…

This study analyzed the effects of a kindergarten phonological awareness training program, STeps Into Reading (STIR) on the number of special education referrals, classifications, and retentions in a rural elementary school in New York. These numbers were compared prior to and after the program's implementation. STIR is based on research in the…

This publication provides a review of the research on issues relating to the gap in achievement between high- and low-performing students, focussing specifically on the topics of retention in grade, remediation of students who are underachieving, and accelerated instruction. Following the executive summary and introductory material, three sections…

The Ashland City School District (Ohio) conducted a study to identify possible reasons for the academic failure of 10th graders. Forty-eight high risk students who had failed to pass one or more subtests of the Ohio Proficiency Test were compared with 48 students who had passed all subtests in eighth grade and were considered low risk…

This manual provides documentation and guidance for users of the public release data files for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) component of the 1991 National Household Education Survey (NHES:91). Information is presented about the purpose of the study, the data collection instruments, the sample design, and data collection and data processing…

In the Cleveland (Ohio) Public Schools, the percent of students who are retained in grade, or who are not promoted, is high. At the high school level, retention rates ranged from 9 percent to 47 percent in the 1988-89 school year. School characteristics that correlate with the rate of retention are studied in an attempt to understand some of the…