Is grade retention harmful?

The long-run effects of early grade retention are not clear. Multiple studies have found that holding back middle schoolers increases their odds of dropping out of high school. “The evidence on retaining students in the later grades — I think that's unambiguously negative,” said Winters.

Is grade retention 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.

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.

Is it bad to be held back a grade?

Holding a student back may create significantly more issues than solutions. Even though research says that student retention is ineffective and could even be harmful, some schools still believe that making children repeat grades is a good idea.

What are the social effects of grade retention?

Effect of retention on social acceptance

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).

Is grade retention helpful or harmful for students?

Is it good to hold kids back grade retention?

Recent research shows that, for the most part, holding kids back a grade isn't the best practice. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) reports that some kids do better in school the first year or two after being held back.

Is grade retention harmful to children?

The long-run effects of early grade retention are not clear.

Multiple studies have found that holding back middle schoolers increases their odds of dropping out of high school. “The evidence on retaining students in the later grades — I think that's unambiguously negative,” said Winters.

What are the cons of grade retention?

Retention does not reduce the range of academic achievement in any particular classroom and, in fact, usually creates even greater differences among classmates. Research on grade retention has shown that this particular practice results in a negative impact on a child's social and emotional development.

What are the cons of retaining students?

Kids who are identified as most behind are the ones “most likely harmed by retention.” Retention often is associated with increased behavior problems, such as emotional distress, smoking cigarettes, alcohol use, drug use, drunk driving, early sexual activity, suicidal intentions, and violent behavior.

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).

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.

How many kids get held back a year?

Nearly 450,000 first through eighth graders are retained each year.

How do I talk to my child about repeating a grade?

If your child gets held back a grade in school, it's important to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. You can reassure them that everyone learns and progresses at their own pace, and that it's okay to take the time they need to fully understand the material.

Why is retention harmful?

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.

Why should kids be held back?

They found that retention in third grade had large positive effects on reading and math achievement in the short run. Although these initial benefits faded over time, students who had been held back entered high school performing at a higher level relative to their grade level than similar students who'd been promoted.

What are the disadvantages of holding a child back from kindergarten?

A large body of research has indicated that holding a child back in school is associated with poorer academic outcomes and little social-emotional benefit. While some studies have found short-term social and academic benefits of grade retention, many of these effects fade after a few years.

Does retention repeating a grade help struggling learners?

A child who's just been absent often is already at higher risk for dropping out of school. Repeating a grade increases the risk. Kids who are much younger than grade-level peers and who have a history of struggling academically can benefit from repeating a grade. It can be a better fit emotionally and age-wise.

Why is low teacher retention bad?

Poor teacher retention has been shown to negatively impact students' educational achievement, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

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.

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.

Can I hold my child back a year at school?

It's a mutual decision. But in the other grades, parents have the right to request retention, but if the school or the district don't agree to it, that wouldn't happen. Parents cannot just request retention for their kids on their own.

How does retention affect learning?

Learning retention is a person's ability to transfer new information into their long-term memory so that it is easy for them to recall and put that knowledge to use in the future. In simpler words, learning retention is all about making new knowledge stick for a long time.

Should a child be retained in kindergarten?

Some researchers have concluded that allowing a child to repeat kindergarten provides a stronger foundation for essential skills needed for future grades, while others argue that retention has many negative consequences.

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.

Should I hold my son back from kindergarten?

I did the research and found out that holding a child back has permanent effects on a child's self esteem, not to mention the fact that it steals an academic year. Experts agree that holding a child back can have devastating consequences, and should only be done in absolute emergencies.