“Should We Hold Him Back a Grade?”
We hear this question a lot. We hear this even more regarding Kindergarten. Let’s look at the facts.
The question is: should students who fail to meet minimum performance standards in academic subjects be retained? In the past children have moved forward in grades for social reasons. Recently the issue of retention has come up again due to test-based achievement requirements.
The simple answer is: there is no consensus on whether retention justifies the cost, monetarily or socially. Retaining a child is costly to the public school system. There is also little data supporting the benefits of retention.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia now mandate retention (and remedial services) if a child does not demonstrate basic reading proficiency by grade 3. Proponents claim that students benefit from the incentive created by retention threat. They also claim retained students benefit from the additional instruction. Critics claim that retained students are stigmatized and struggle socially.
Recent research has indicated that grade retention negatively impact both social and academic outcomes.
In the special case of holding back potential Kindergarten students there is no long term academic benefit for waiting to enroll a child in school.
In general research shows that retention is not an effective intervention. However; retention combined with remedial services may be a good option for students struggling in early grades. This should be decided and planned on a case by case basis rather than using a universal formula.
December 14, 2016