The Effects Of Grade Retention

Introduction

Grade retention which is better known as ‘staying back’, ‘repeating’ or ‘being held back’, refers to the practice of having a student return to a particular grade level for a subsequent year after having been at that level a full school year. (Wu et al, 2010). The purpose of this paper will be to answer the research question “What are the effects of grade retention?” based on high schools in the United Sates of America. Statistically, with as many as 15% of all American students held back each year and 30-50% held back at least once before ninth grade, the rate of retention has increased by approximately 40% in the last 20years (Wu et al, 2010). This paper will give the reader an overview of the effects grade retention has on students academic performance, socialization and how it eventually leads them to dropout of school. A number of scholarly articles will be used to accomplish this.

Academic Performance

The students who are more likely to perform better academically are those who are less rejected and more accepted by their peers. In other words, the retained students performed poorly academically (Wu et al, 2010). A consistent predictor of low reading achievement as well as lower mathematic achievement was retention in grade (McCoy & Reynolds, 1999). Also, as a result of retention in grade being a particular risk factor, retained students are less likely to come to school prepared with books, homework and school supplies or arrive at school on time (Stearns et al, 2007). Moreover, compared to children retained in grades 4-8, children who were retained between kindergarten and 3rd grade were more likely to experience a decline in academic performance. Also, unlike the nonretained children, retained children ha...

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...ing grade retention and its effects on self-esteem.

REFERENCES

Jimerson, S.R. (2002). Winning the battle and losing the war: Examining the relationship between grade retention and dropping out of high school. Psychology in the Schools, 39(4), 441-457.

McCoy, A.R. & Reynolds, A.J. (1999). Grade retention and school performance: An extended investigation. Journal of School Psychology, 37(3), 273-298.

Stearns, E. & Glennie, E.J. (2006). When and why dropouts leave high school. Youth and Society, 38(1), 29-57.

Stearns, E., Moller, S. Blau, J. & Potochnick, S. (2007). Staying back and dropping out: The relationship between grade retention and school dropout. Sociology of Education, 80, 210-240.

Wu, W., West, S.G. & Hughes, J.N. (2010). Effect of grade retention in first grade on psychosocial outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(1), 135-152.