Is grade retention good or bad?

High-profile meta-analyses based on these studies concluded that grade retention was associated with poorer academic outcomes (including higher dropout rates) and greater risk of behavioral issues.

Does grade retention make a difference?

Still, the researchers found that students who were retained had higher grade point averages and took fewer remedial courses in high school than students who had similar reading abilities but weren't held back.

Is retention positive or negative?

Although most educational and psychological research confirms that grade retention is rarely a positive intervention, there are some children that do better if they are retained. For these students, retention is both necessary and beneficial.

What are the risks of grade retention?

In adolescence, retained students are more likely to experience problems such as poor interactions with peers, disliking school, behavior problems, and lower self-esteem.

Is retention a good idea?

A national study found long-term benefits from retention in early grades. Students who went to school in a state with higher retention rates ended up earning slightly higher wages as adults (by 0.7%). But the incentive effect of retention may not be all good.

The High Cost of Grade Retention

What is the downside of retention?

The downsides to high employee retention are disengaged employees who remain in their roles, hurt productivity, create toxic work environments, and drive good employees away. High retention can also lead to difficulty implementing change, less innovation, and a lack of diversity and inclusion.

Is grade retention bad for kids think again?

High-profile meta-analyses based on these studies concluded that grade retention was associated with poorer academic outcomes (including higher dropout rates) and greater risk of behavioral issues.

Why students should not be retained?

Most children do not "catch up" when held back. Although some retained students do better at first, these children often fall behind again in later grades. Students who are held back tend to get into trouble, dislike school, and feel badly about themselves more often than children who go on to the next grade.

Why grade retention is ineffective?

Here are a few studies. In 1984, Holmes and Matthews found that retained students showed lower academic achievement, poorer personal adjustment, and lower self-concept. In addition, they found that in all cases, the outcomes for students promoted were more positive than for those who were retained.

Why is retention bad for students?

Most children do not “catch up” when held back. Although some retained students do better at first, these children often fall behind again in later grades. Retention is one of the most powerful predictors of high school dropout; holding a child back twice makes dropping out of school 90% certain.

Does grade retention help students?

Retaining students based on reading proficiency can produce large improvements in academic performance when compared to grade-level peers. Retention is not an academic death sentence. In fact, it can lead to better preparation when entering high school.

What are some pros of grade retention?

For kids who are developmentally immature (either physically or emotionally), repeating a grade may reduce the stress of trying to “keep up.” For kids who are physically large for their age, repeating a grade can make them stand out more.

What are the long term effects of grade retention?

Critics contend that retention detaches students from their peers and subjects them to social stigmatization and stress, which might negatively affect self-confidence, motivation, and interpersonal relationships (Anderson et al., 2005; Goos et al., 2021).

Should I retain my child in first grade?

Ideally, no. Repeating a grade―also known as "grade retention" ―has not been shown to help children learn. Children won't outgrow learning and attention issues by repeating a grade. In fact, repeating a grade may contribute to long-term issues with low self-esteem, as well as emotional or social difficulties.

Why do kids get held back?

Common Reasons Children Get Held Back in School

The goal is to give the child a second chance at a grade they found challenging, so they can be better equipped in years to come. The reasoning behind grade retention may be based on maturity, behavior, absences, academic performance, or any number of factors.

Does retention help dyslexia?

Dear young dyslexic,

Because it is an easy fix, grade retention surfaces about every 10 years as a "solution" for our academic problems. However, grade retention has been researched in dozens of studies over the last hundred years and it is consistently failed to show any lasting improvement in student's performance.

What happens if you get held back 3 times?

States only pay for public school until 21, so if a student is held back more than twice, they won't be allowed to graduate in a traditional program.

Can you get left back in high school?

In high school you are not “held back” per se. You accrue credits, and once you have earned enough credits and met all graduation requirements you are eligible to graduate. Class status is based on number of credit earned.

Can you move up a grade after being held back?

It can happen and occasionally does. Sometimes a student is retained for one reason or another and then gets up to speed and they are at the level of the next grade level. So they will bump the student back up a grade if the school and parents agree upon it.

Do parents have a say in grade retention?

According to this regulation, “a school can retain or promote a student without parent or guardian approval.” It also says the district's school board must provide an appeal process for parents who disagree with the school's promotion or retention decision for their student.

How many times can someone repeat a grade?

The number of times a student can repeat a grade can be limited, often to just once, but this can vary by school district and individual school. In terms of college admissions, it's important to keep in mind that admissions committees look for progress and improvement.

Why is low teacher retention bad?

Consequences of teacher turnover

Furthermore, a study from the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research shows that teacher attrition reduces student achievement, where high turnover resulted in lower student scores in both ELA and math.

Should child with ADHD repeat grade?

Children who repeat a grade are at a higher risk of dropping out of high school. They are more likely to be bullied." If the child does have ADHD or another disorder, she notes, repeating a grade will not fix the disorder. And relatively younger children diagnosed with ADHD might really have ADHD, says Dr.

Should I retain my child with dyslexia?

In conclusion, based on the research presented in these few articles, addressing your child's academic struggles and getting the proper interventions and accommodations is the proper solution. Holding back a child with a learning issue in the same grade another year will not benefit them.

What are the social effects of grade retention?

Effect of retention on social acceptance

The results have been inconsistent. For example, when kindergarten teachers were asked to rate classroom behavior and peer acceptance, they rated retained students as being less well liked by classmates than low-achieving promoted students (Pianta et al., 1997).