The progress of 243 students repeating first grade in 1981-82 was compared with matched low achievers in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District. Mean achievement scores were obtained for each year between spring 1981 and spring 1986 for the two groups and compared to the national average. Regression analyses were used to compare the…

The Promotional Gates Program was initiated in the New York City Public Schools in order to set and maintain citywide curriculum and performance standards, identify students unable to meet the minimum standards, and provide remedial instruction. Under this program, the promotional policy sets "gates" at grades 4 and 7; students unable to…

The number of students retained in grade in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) has increased dramatically since new promotion policies were instituted in 1981 and Texas House Bill (HB) 72 was passed. Elementary school promotion is now tied to mastery of essential skills; secondary students must meet attendance requirements, as…

Differential effects of promotion from and retention in grade on second- and fifth-grade students were investigated. It was hypothesized that (1) children retained in grade will evoke negative perceptions and thus have lower status than children regularly promoted; (2) more favorable attributions will be made to children who are regularly promoted…

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the effect of non-promotion on the self concept of pupils in public elementary schools. First graders (N=585) from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania were administered the FACES self concept scale at two different times during the 1973-1974 school year. Of these first graders, 25 non-promoted pupils,…

This research was designed to delineate the effects of the retention in grade process upon a child's academic, social, and emotional development. The primary purpose of the study was to identify characteristics of children who benefit from the retention process. The secondary purpose was to identify those factors from the retained year that…

The findings of several longitudinal studies of low income children who participated in experimental preschool intervention programs over the past decade and a half are summarized in this report. The data resulting from these studies are organized into four categories: (1) preschool effects on target children's later school performances, including…

The Optional Extended Year (OEY) program was initiated in Texas in 1995 and was first implemented in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in 1996. The OEY is designed to add an extended school year and reduce student retention through four school-day options: (1) extended day; (2) extended week; (3) intersessions for year-round schools;…

This is the second annual report on the Pittsburgh School District by the Pittsburgh Council on Public Education. The report presents data on the following issues: school environment (school and class size, student and teacher absences, suspensions and assaults, and school satisfaction survey highlights); student achievement (New Standards Exams,…

The progress of children through the grades of the public schools and the stage of advancement at which they quit school are matters of great educational and economic importance, and enlist the interest of both school officers and taxpayers. If many children fail to accomplish any part of the work of the school in the time prescribed, it may be…

Examines mobility's underside, including confused and rootless children and frustrated teachers. One in six third-graders has attended at least three schools. Schools with the highest mobility rates are poor, urban, and increasingly less accountable. Educators cannot remedy mobility's social causes, but are helping transient kids with electronic…

Compared children retained in kindergarten with matched samples of age and grade mates, using teacher ratings as an index of their social and academic skills. Found that retained children showed a reduction in behavior problems, specifically acting-out and shy-anxious behaviors, but only slightly increased competence for task orientation across…

Comparison of 324 neglected children and adolescents and a matched nonmaltreated sample found that the neglected children had lower grades, more suspensions, more disciplinary referrals, and more grade repetitions, even when controlling for gender and socioeconomic status. Junior high appeared to be a particularly problematic time for neglected…

Investigated effects of kindergarten schedules and prior preschool attendance on elementary children's academic achievement, incidence of grade retention, and reception of special education services in 32 Ohio school districts. In this statewide longitudinal study, children who attended preschool prior to kindergarten had greater success in…

Argues that, even though the French elementary education system has changed in recent decades, basic problems have reemerged in new forms. Maintains that, despite striking differences between France and the United States with respect to ability grouping, teaching preparation and methods, and other issues, deeper problems of the two educational…