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)

Analysis of educational statistics published by the Cuban government and by the United Nations (UNESCO) for 1969-88 focuses on enrollments in Cuban schools and colleges, student-teacher ratios, and the percentage of repeaters in each grade. Data tables include comparisons with other countries of Latin America and North America. (SV)

Developed as a retention alternative, the Summer Accelerated Learning Time (SALT) program combines two effective strategies, providing one-on-one tutoring within an extended-year framework for students at risk of early reading failure. An evaluation showed a 1.1 mean reading level change for 22 SALT participants. (10 references) (MLH)

Grade retention is ineffective. It is often imposed for nonacademic reasons, fails to improve academic achievement, and exacerbates the dropout problem. Social promotion is equally ineffective at providing appropriate instruction for low-performing students. Feasible alternatives include group problem solving, personalized instruction, and…

Although prevailing research indicates that holding back students carries negative effects, retention is becoming ever more popular. Administrators seeking secure funding for retention alternatives face considerable resistance, while the decision to add a full year of expenditures for a retained student is made without considering budgetary…

Study follows 106 kindergarten students through 11th grade examining the effects of family characteristics, school readiness, socialization, and student demographics on academic achievement and behavioral adjustment outcomes. Results demonstrate that retained students' initial school readiness, socioeconomic status, mother's level of education,…

Grade retention has been controversial for many years, and current calls to end social promotion have lent new urgency to this issue. On the one hand, a policy of retaining in grade those students making slow progress might facilitate instruction by making classrooms more homogeneous academically. On the other hand, grade retention might harm…

Since the mid 1970s the national rate at which incoming 9th graders have completed high school has fallen slowly but steadily; this is also true in 41 states. In 2002, about three in every four students who might have completed high school actually did so; in some states this figure is substantially lower. In this paper I review state-level…

Reading skills in hearing children are closely related to their phonological processing skills, often measured using a nonword repetition task in which a child relies on abstract phonological representations in order to decompose, encode, rehearse in working memory and reproduce novel phonological patterns. In the present study of children who are…

It is generally observed in the literature of school effectiveness research that there are two broadly categorized factors influencing pupil achievement. However, the results of the studies based on empirically collected data vary from country to country and from time to time. Premised on this inconsistency of results and gaps in knowledge of this…