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For over 40 years, study after study on grade retention has reached the same conclusion: Failing a student, particularly in the critical ninth grade year, is the single largest predictor of whether he or she drops out (Edley, 2002). Widespread retention further exacerbates the achievement gap.
According to extensive research (Anderson, Jimerson and Whipple,
2002; NASP, 2003; Jimerson, Anderson and Whipple, 2002; Setencich,
1994), the effects of retention are devastating. Consider
these:
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Retention is one of the most powerful predictors of high school dropout; holding a child back twice makes dropping out of school 90% certain.
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Most children do not "catch up" when held back.
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Although some retained students do better at first, these children often fall behind again in later grades.
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In 2001, 6th grade students ranked grade retention as the most stressful life event, followed by losing a parent and going blind.
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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.
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The weakened self-esteem that usually accompanies retention plays a role in how well the child may cope in the future.
Many advocate for early identification of student needs in order to apply appropriate instructional strategies (Anderson, Whipple and Jimerson, 2002; U. S. Department of Education, 2002).
But not all teachers are effective at identifying student needs and applying instructional strategies that are the most appropriate for student needs. A study conducted by Sanders and Rivers (1996) examined the cumulative and residual effects of teachers on student achievement and found a wide chasm between the impact on student achievement by effective teachers and ineffective teachers. Equally performing second graders were separated by as many as 50 percentile points on standardized tests by the time they reached fifth grade solely as a result of being taught by teachers whose effectiveness varied greatly.
Transferring and translating the knowledge gained in studies
into scientifically-based classroom practices is a complex undertaking.
Effective teaching that leaves no student behind requires teachers
to have a skill set that is tremendously intricate, sophisticated
and based upon converging scientific evidence. Highly effective
teachers continually monitor pupil progress and then design (and
re-design) lessons that meet the specific, individualized needs
of each student (Lyon and Thomas, 2003). Teachers, therefore,
must be provided with state-of-the-art ongoing, continuous professional
development delivered by experts. That is, teacher learning at
the school level must be carefully supported by a consistent
and systematic flow of correct information and instruction from
experts, especially in low performing schools, in order to prevent
the dissemination of misinformation in these groups.
Paul Pastorek, Louisiana Superintendent of Education, states, "Research says the most important link to student success is having highly knowledgeable and skilled teachers in the classroom. We have not provided our teachers with enough information on how children learn and what it takes to learn to read. Equipping teachers with that new knowledge will allow them to reap the rewards they want for the children they teach." (Thomas,
2002).
Additionally, leadership that understands and provides the context and infrastructure necessary for teacher and student success must be developed at the university, district, school and classroom levels.
Michael Fullan argues that this will require school principals
to reach beyond instructional leadership. "We need leaders who can create a fundamental transformation in the learning cultures of schools and the teaching profession itself" (Fullan,
2002).
Resources
Anderson, G. E., Whipple, A. D., and Jimerson, S. R. (2002). Grade retention: Achievement and mental health outcomes.
Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. www.nasponline.org/pdf/graderetention.pdf
Anderson, G. E., Jimerson, S. R. and Whipple, A. D. (2002). Children's ratings of stressful experiences at home and school: Loss of a parent and grade retention as superlative stressors. Manuscript prepared for publication, available from authors at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Edley, C. and Wald, J. (2002). The grade retention fallacy. www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/articles/retention_edley.php
Fullan, M. (2002a). Leadership and sustainability.
Fullan, M. (2003). The moral imperative of school leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Jimerson, S. R. (2003). Grade retention in the United States. Communique, 31, 5. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.
Jimerson, S. R. Anderson, G. E., and Whipple, A. D. (2002). Winning the battle and losing the war: Examining the relation between grade retention and dropping out of high school. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 441-457.
Lyon, G. R. and Thomas, A. (2003). A conceptual framework for Louisiana's reading first implementation. Unpublished paper.
National Association of School Psychologists Position Paper on Student Grade Retention and Social Promotion (2003). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. www.nasponline.org/information/pospaper_graderetent.html
Sanders, W. L. and Rivers, J. C. (1996). Cumulative and residual effects of teachers on future student academic achievement. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Value-Added Research and Assessment Center. www.ncela.gwu.edu/oela/summit/cd/files/sbr/sanders.pdf
Setencich, J. (1994). The impact of early grade retention on the academic achievement and self-esteem of seventh and eighth grade students. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the National Association of School Psychologists. Seattle, WA: ED 393 026.
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