Recently I have been offering presentations and workshops on effective alternatives to retention. I think it is a national disgrace that we are retaining so many children when the empirical evidence has shown it has such a deleterious impact, both academically and psychologically, on students. Educators need to understand that retaining a child is not only an educational decision but a social- emotional one as well. Due to the importance given to high stakes tests and the necessity of children passing these tests in many states to be promoted, the number of youngsters who have been left behind has increased dramatically. In addition, many youngsters who did not pass are already considering themselves failures by the time they turn eight years old. This is truly a shame as there are a number of effective alternatives to retention or social promotion that can make a positive difference in the lives of children.
For those particularly interested in this topic, I refer you to another article aimed at influencing public policy published with a former student. The reference is Lazarus, P. J. & Ortega, P. (2007). Universal preschool in conjunction with universal screenings: An antidote to grade retention, Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies, 7, 54-75. Also I have a book chapter on this topic which should come out in late 2010 which outlines all types of interventions that can be used in lieu of retention.
If at all possible, I try to publish or reach out to stakeholders outside our profession that can influence public policy. This article written with a colleague of mine, Dr. Scott Poland, is in press in the District Administration, which has a circulation of 65,000. Perhaps we can begin to change the national dialogue on this issue. The article is printed below.
Retention In Schools: Leaving Too Many Children Behind
Jenny, a third grade girl, commented after receiving the results of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, “I cried repeatedly when I heard the news, and so did my mom.” Jenny had failed the high stakes assessment test necessary for promotion and as a result was required by state rules to repeat third grade. Jenny now considers herself a failure and a loser. And Jenny is only eight years old.
Perhaps the negative psychological toll on retained students could be justified if the results of retention had significant positive outcomes. However, this is not the case. Children and adolescents who are retained are at a much greater risk for dropping out of school and have much poorer occupational outcomes. In fact, it has been found that grade retention is the one factor that most powerfully predicts dropping out. Retained students once they reach adulthood, are more likely to be unemployed, living on government assistance, or in prison compared to other adults who have never been retained in school.
A comprehensive meta-analysis of grade retention research from 1990 to 1999 has shown the deleterious impact of leaving children behind. Twenty studies with matched control groups were included in the analysis which looked at both the academic achievement and socio-emotional functioning of retained students. Sixteen of the 20 studies (80%) showed negative outcomes associated with grade retention. It was found that the retained students were significantly below their promoted peers in academic achievement and social-emotional/behavioral adjustment. Specifically, retained students were found to be significantly below their matched peers on measures of attendance, reading, mathematics, language, and emotional adjustment. These findings are consistent with other research from the last few decades.
Schools tend to consider that retaining a child is purely an academic decision. Yet retention needs to be considered a social-emotional decision that has negative psychological consequences. One study found that when sixth grade students were asked to rate the most stressful life event, they rated being retained as equivalent to losing a parent or going blind. Another report found that youth placed in juvenile detention facilities rated being retained as more emotionally troubling than being incarcerated. These findings provide strong evidence that the emotional toll of grade retention is significant and should be taken into account when developing policies or making administrative decisions for low-performing students—this is especially true because with effective interventions many children could avoid experiencing the psychological pain of being held back. Consequently, it makes sense to focus on effective alternatives to retention rather than viewing retention as a solution to the underachievement of students.
We believe that the most powerful antidote to grade retention is universal preschool. Quality preschool programs have been identified as one of the most effective, empirically-based prevention strategies to reduce retention. They have been shown to improve pre-reading, pre-writing, and pre-mathematics skills. Kindergarten age children show large discrepancies in readiness skills that are seen mainly along socio-economic lines. Many young children start school without the pre-academic skills that are necessary to succeed. As one teacher noted, “Some children arrived in August already reading, while others couldn’t name the color of their shirt.” Consequently, in order to level the playing field and help ensure that youngsters—especially those from low income backgrounds—have the prerequisite skills to be successful in kindergarten, high quality preschools programs are necessary to prevent retention.
There are other alternatives to retention that have research support. These include increasing parental involvement, high quality teacher pre-service and in-service training, systematic screening and assessment, evidenced-based reading and mathematics programs and strategies, looping and multi-age classrooms, peer and one-to-one tutoring, summer school and extended school days, and school-based mental health programs. We believe that if district administrators have more information about effective alternatives to retention, then they will be better able to advocate for quality interventions.
It has been estimated that more than three million children each year fail a grade and this extra year of schooling costs approximately $8400.00 for each child left behind. It can be reasonably argued that retaining so many students each year is more our failure than theirs. Yet, it is our children who are paying the price. Jenny and the other three million children retained each year deserve interventions that have empirical support. We don’t need to leave so many children behind.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip J. Lazarus, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of the School Psychology Program at Florida International University. He publishes and conducts workshops on effective alternative to retention and can be contacted at philaz1@aol.com. Scott Poland, Ed.D. is a past president of the National Association of School Psychologists and frequent contributor to District Administration. He can be reached at spoland@nova.edu.