Alternatives to Retention in Grade

Protheroe, N. (2007, February 1). Alternatives to Retention in Grade. National Association of Elementary School Principals.

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In this article, Protheroe talks about the various strategies we can avoid retaining students to the same grade. One of these strategies is aligning instruction with the different standards that need to be taught. While this strategy is obvious, instruction often times transforms into test-preparation rather than standards-aligned instruction. Another way to avoid retention is by identifying struggling students early using assessment data, to provide teachers with the adequate time to use the proper interventions so that students get all the support they need to succeed.  The article addresses a third alternative to retention, change of school grouping practices, instead of keeping the same students together because they happen to be in the same grade, determined by age, schools can move to group students from different grade levels by ability to provide them with continuous progress instead of having to wait for the next school year to move along in the curriculum. Another way to change grouping is by finding students that have all the same deficits (for example, in reading) and teaching to their needs.

Protheroe also suggests: adding extra periods or classes for whatever students are behind in, increasing teacher professional development to help teachers who work in high-poverty schools, extending the school day, or adding after-school programs so students have more time for learning. Another suggestions is to have more pre-kindergarten programs, or if money does not allow, set expectations for what a kindergarten-ready student should be able to do so that parents can make sure their child will not be behind when entering their first year of schooling.