When should a child be retained?

4). A child may be considered for retention if he or she has poor academic skills, is small in stature or the youngest in the grade, has moved or been absent frequently, does poorly on a prescreening assessment, or has limited English-language skills.

Can I choose to hold my child back a grade?

Yes, a parent can decide to hold their child back a grade, but it's important to discuss this choice with teachers and school staff as they provide valuable insights into the child's progress.

Can a parent say no to retention?

Yes, a school can retain or promote a student without parent or guardian approval. However, the district PPR policy approved by the district's school board must provide an appeal process for parents who disagree with a principal's promotion or retention decision for their student.

Why should students be held back?

Why schools may recommend repeating a grade. When kids haven't built the academic skills needed for the next grade, the school may advise holding them back. The idea is that an extra year will help them catch up. But sometimes a child's academic struggles are just one factor that the school is considering.

Is retaining a student a good idea?

In short, recent research has shown that grade retention in elementary school can increase test scores through middle school and reduce the need for future remediation.

Is Holding Back Your Child Fair?

How do you decide if a student should be retained?

4). A child may be considered for retention if he or she has poor academic skills, is small in stature or the youngest in the grade, has moved or been absent frequently, does poorly on a prescreening assessment, or has limited English-language skills.

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.

Why students should not be retained?

Jimerson looked at 20 studies published between 1990 and 1999, and concluded that they “fail to demonstrate that grade retention provides greater benefits to students with academic or adjustment difficulties than does promotion to the next grade.” In many studies, students who were retained had worse academic ...

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.

Why is retention bad?

Research. There have been seventy-five years or more of retention research. 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.

Is grade retention harmful to children?

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

For later grades, the research is fairly clear. Multiple studies have found that holding back middle schoolers increases their odds of dropping out of high school.

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.

When should a child repeat a grade?

Consider how many school days your child has missed. If your child has missed a significant number of class sessions, his or her teacher may recommend repeating the year so your child isn't behind in the following grade.

Who decides if a kid gets held back?

Who gets the final say? In California, it's the schools. California's Pupil Promotion & Retention policy in the state education code says a student can be promoted if the teacher decides retention isn't appropriate even if the student is failing.

What causes a child to be held back a grade?

The reasoning behind grade retention may be based on maturity, behavior, absences, academic performance, or any number of factors. Getting held back is not a reflection of intellect. Your child is not “stupid” because they need to repeat a grade. Make this apparent with every discussion.

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.

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 drives student retention?

Students who are actively involved in extracurricular activities or the student community tend to experience better retention rates. Clubs, sports, study groups, school spirit — all of these can factor into a student's feeling of community belonging, which can help them stay engaged in school and reach graduation.

Should dyslexic students be held back?

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.

Why repeating a grade is bad?

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.

Does kindergarten retention work?

Analyzing data from the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten cohort with the technique of multilevel propensity score stratification, we find no evidence that a policy of grade retention in kindergarten improves average achievement in mathematics or reading.

Why is low teacher retention bad?

Most substitutes don't teach regularly and may be less equipped to create engaging lesson plans. When teachers leave midyear, substitutes may struggle to successfully take over. Poor teacher retention has been shown to negatively impact students' educational achievement, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

Can you fail a kid with an IEP?

Yes, a child with an IEP can fail. However, it is rare for children with IEPs to fail classes. While an IEP does not guarantee that a child will not fail, it is unusual for a child with an IEP to fail.

Should I hold my child back a year?

If you're considering holding your child back you should do it when they are younger. The social impact of holding your child back one year when they are young is negligible. But the longer you wait the harder it may be for your child to adjust.

Can a child with an IEP be retained?

Yes, students with disabilities may be retained; however, careful consideration in the development, implementation, and revision of the student's individualized education program (IEP) should prevent student failure in most cases.