When Retention Is Recommended, What Should Parents Do? ERIC Digest.

Each year, many teachers face the problem of where and how to place children who do not seem to fit into the rest of the class. In many school districts, retention, or having the child repeat a grade, is an option that is frequently considered for children who appear to lag behind. It is estimated that every year, 2.4 million students are retained in grade for a variety of reasons (Setencich, 1994, p. 4).

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WHO MAY BE RETAINED

EFFECTS OF RETENTION

*Most children do not "catch up" when held back.

*Although some retained students do better at first, these

children often fall behind again in later grades.

*Students who are held back tend to get into trouble,

dislike school, and feel badly about themselves more

often than children who go on to the next grade.

In addition to the conclusions that NASP has drawn from the research, the weakened self-esteem that usually accompanies retention plays a role in how well the child may cope in the future. Research has shown that children view the thought of flunking a grade to be almost as stressful as the death of a parent or blindness (Sevener, 1990, p. 2).

"Even more staggering is the fact that being held back twice makes dropping out of school a virtual certainty" (Setencich, 1994, p. 7).

WHY DO SCHOOLS RETAIN CHILDREN?

Professors Smith and Shepard at the University of Colorado found that teachers frequently exaggerated the perceived benefits of retention. They believed that retention in early grades prevented problems or the stigma of failure later on. But teachers lacked real feedback on how well students were doing as they moved through school (Smith & Shepard, 1987, p. 130). Also, the practice of retention gives the appearance of a school's being accountable about a problem and enforcing standards but may neglect the underlying cause of a student's failure (Sakowicz, 1996, p. 16).

There are also some philosophical differences among professional educators. Some teachers believe that children mature and develop school readiness along with physiological unfolding, while other teachers believe that any child of legal age is teachable if the program is adapted to fit that child's individual needs. In one study, the teachers who leaned toward physiological readiness also leaned towards retention, while the other teachers were more likely to change their teaching methods to meet the individual child's needs (Cooke & Stammer, 1985).

OPTIONS OTHER THAN RETENTION

*Mixed-age classes. In this environment, students learn at

their own rate and advance to the next stage when they

have mastered the required skills without the restriction

of grade-level labeling.

*Individualized instruction. This method is tailored to

the individual student's style of learning.

*Tutoring. Through individual attention, students are

helped in difficult academic areas throughout the

year.

*Home assistance programs. These programs provide parents

with structured specific information about ways to help

their child academically with homework, sound study

habits, or sound work habits.

*Smaller class size. Particularly in the primary years,

small class size improves learning environments for all

students.

*Seeking alternative educational settings. These may

include summer school or after-school programs that are

learning laboratories with lots of opportunities for

projects and a "hands on" approach to learning.

*Guidance counseling. In an advisor/advisee type of

relationship, an "at-risk" student may be identified

earlier and given consistent support throughout his or

her school career.

*Delaying achievement testing that may lead to retention.

Achievement testing may be useful for identifying weak areas in

the school curriculum and possibly areas where

the child needs additional support; however, it should

not be taken out of context of other information and

become the deciding factor for grade placement for a

child.

HOW PARENTS CAN RESPOND

*Make an effort to understand why the teacher is

suggesting retention. Parents can ask to see examples of their

child's work compared to the work of other children of the same

age. If the teacher is concerned about the child's

maturity or behavior, parents can ask for specific examples of

behavior that cause concern.

*Keep the teacher informed about the parents' knowledge of

the child. If the child was within the normal ranges of

early developmental benchmarks, parents can let the teacher know.

How does the child's school behavior compare with his or her at-home

behavior? Are there similarities or large differences?

*Be aware of the stresses that may be affecting the child

and keep the teacher informed. For example, if the family

has a new baby in the house, or has recently moved, these

life changes can affect the child's behavior for a short

period of time.

*At home, ask the child about homework and give him or her

a quiet place to study.

*Be certain that the child eats nutritious meals, gets

enough sleep, and stays healthy.

*Request assistance from other support staff in the

school. The school psychologist, school counselor, or

special education staff may be able to evaluate the

child and suggest an alternative intervention.

However, if the parents and teachers believe that retention is the best option, the National Association of School Psychologists (1988) notes that retention is not as likely to be harmful when the student:

*lacks serious deficits in the year prior to retention;

*has positive self-esteem and good social skills;

*shows signs of difficulty in school because of lack of

opportunity for instruction rather than lack of ability;

or

*does not have serious social, emotional, or behavioral

deficits.

If a child repeats a grade, parents should work with school personnel to be sure that their child has a significantly different experience during the retained year from the previous year and that the child is assessed and placed at the appropriate developmental level. Some options might include a classroom with a lower teacher-student ratio, a different curriculum, or a different approach to learning. It might also be beneficial to move the child to another school. If retention is chosen, then the extra year should not be just a repetition of the previous year, but it should be individualized in such a way that it contributes to the child's future success.

CONCLUSION

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Keirns, Jan (Ed.). (1991). COLLECTED RESEARCH REFERENCES. PART 1: GESELL DEVELOPMENTAL PHILOSOPHY, GESELL ASSESSMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. New Haven, CT: Gesell Institute of Human Development.

Meisels, Samuel J., & Liaw, Fong-Ruey. (1993). Failure in grade: Do retained students catch up? JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, 87 (2), 69-77. EJ 476 840

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). (n.d.). SHOULD MY CHILD REPEAT A GRADE? Bethesda, MD: NASP.

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). (1988). POSITION STATEMENT. Bethesda, MD: NASP.

Sakowicz, Anita B. (1996, April). THE EFFECT OF RETENTION, IN GRADE ONE, ON THE SLOW READER. M.A. Project, Kean College of New Jersey. ED 393 081

Schuyler, Nancy B. (1985, April). DOES RETENTION HELP? PERSPECTIVES AFTER THREE YEARS. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. ED 263 143

Setencich, Jill. (1994, March). THE IMPACT OF EARLY GRADE RETENTION ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SELF-ESTEEM OF SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the National Association of School Psychologists. Seattle, WA. ED 393 026

Sevener, Donald. (1990, January). Retention: More malady than therapy. SYNTHESIS, 1 (1), 1-4.

Smith, Mary L., & Shepard, Lorrie A. (1987). What doesn't work: Explaining policies of retention in the early grades. PHI DELTA KAPPAN, 69 (2), 129-134. EJ 359 345