Does grade retention make a difference?

Abstract

Despite a continuing record of interest over the years, few studies have documented the demographics of grade retention or the relationship between it and academic achievement across multiple grades and groups of students. In this research, we were interested in the characteristics and consequences of retaining students in elementary (K–5) and middle (6–8) schools. We documented rates of retention that were lower than those reported in the literature and different for gender, ethnic background, limited English proficiency, exceptional student classification, and grade. Our findings support the increasing interest in stopping the use of grade retention as a method of academic intervention and speak to the need to identify and use research-based education interventions to provide remedial instruction for struggling.