Hold Back to Move Forward? Early Grade Retention and Student Misbehavior

Ozek, U. (2013, April 1). Hold Back to Move Forward? Early Grade Retention and Student Misbehavior. National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research.

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This study makes it incredibly clear that social promotion and retention are both strategies that are not promoting student achievement effectively. We need to focus on prevention and use need based teaching strategies for struggling students. However, test-based teaching often overrides targeted teaching in public schools. This study focuses on the effects of grade retention on student misbehavior in Florida. Florida requires all students who do not read on grade level by 3^rd grade to be retained. This research, which followed students that have experienced grade retention, ultimately implies retention and increasing disciplinary incidents and suspensions are connected. The findings also suggest that retention is concentrated amongst youth who are economically disadvantaged and these students are more likely if retained, to demonstrate this adverse behavior.