Is retention an effective intervention?

Because grade retention has proven to be an ineffective intervention, educators should incorporate alternative interventions to help low-achieving students succeed.

Is retaining students effective?

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. [2] However, the studies included in these meta-analyses were mostly correlational rather than causal.

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.

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.

What are the negative effects of student retention?

Research shows increased rates of dangerous behaviors such as drinking, drug abuse, crime, teenage pregnancy, depression, and suicide among retained students compared to similarly performing promoted students.

Disease Intervention Specialist: Retention, Recruitment, and Training

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 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.

What are cons of 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.

When should a child be retained?

Additional reasons that the school may cite can include: A child is very young for their grade or socially immature. A child has missed a lot of school due to serious illness. A child doesn't reach the performance level expected for moving to the next grade.

Does retention repeating a grade help struggling learners?

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.

What is the success rate of retention?

However, as a general rule, 35% to 84% is considered a good retention rate. In SaaS specifically, 35% and higher over an eight-week time period is a great goal to aim for—even though that rate is lower than other industry benchmarks.

Is retention good for kids?

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.

Should students who fail their classes be retained?

The weight of the evidence of literally hundreds of studies shows that retaining children does not produce higher achievement. Rather than flunking students, schools should provide high quality instruction for children who find learning difficult.

Is it bad to hold your child back a grade?

Students who are held back experience negative academic, social, and emotional outcomes over time. In general, students who are retained score better on math and English standardized tests during the year they repeat a grade and sometimes up to four years after.

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).

What are the barriers to student retention?

Several student retention factors, like financial responsibilities and academic issues, are common to nearly all students. Community colleges face a heightened risk of college attrition because their students encounter outside pressures like families and full-time jobs.

Should struggling students repeat a 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.

Should I hold my son 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.

How does it feel to be held back a grade?

Holding a child back can work both ways. As a 3rd grade teacher, I have found that children who are held back feel bad about it initially, but develop tremendous self esteem when they find that they understand and are able to do the work in September.

Why is retention a problem?

A disconnect between management and employee expectations can cause conflict and even create a rift in team dynamics. Without clear communication on collective objectives and company values, employees may find it challenging to stay engaged with their work.

What are the effects of holding a child back in kindergarten?

One study in the Economics of Education Review shows that kids who were redshirted kindergarten outperformed peers in their early school years and then, by eighth grade, were performing on the same level as their younger school peers, indicating a negation of any early advantage.

Why is retention an issue?

Dealing with employee retention problems is really important because it affects how well your business runs and how successful your business can be. For small businesses that might not have a lot of money or people, keeping good workers saves money, improves customer satisfaction, and makes the team stronger.

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.

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.

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.