Holding students back a year may have its benefits, according to a recent study published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA).
Dr. NaYoung Hwang
Grade retention, the practice of having students repeat a grade if they do not pass certain proficiency thresholds, has been argued to help children develop their reading and literacy skills in early grades, preparing them for educational pursuits in the future.
"Literacy is really important. And right now, it's receiving a lot of attention from policymakers nationwide,” said Dr. Nicholas Hartlep, the Robert Charles Billings Chair in Education at Berea College and a former elementary school teacher. He praised the timeliness of the study.
The presence of opposing views on this controversial practice is partially what motivated this research, said study co-author Dr. NaYoung Hwang, an assistant professor of education at the University of New Hampshire. Opponents of the practice have argued that grade retention is punitive and can harm students socially and emotionally, Hwang said.
“Grade retention is a potent but highly disruptive education intervention,” the study noted. “Supporters of grade retention policies argue they provide students with the opportunity to master skills that are essential for learning in subsequent years, while opponents question the value of the extra time and emphasize the potential for negative social impacts.”
As of 2019, 18 U.S. states had mandatory retention laws for students taking state assessments, with the prominence of such policies increasing in the nation.
The study, “Helping or Hurting: The Effects of Retention in the Third Grade on Student Outcomes,” examined this practice’s effects, looking at how the state of Indiana’s test-based retention policy – based on third-grade reading tests – impacted student success, disciplinary outcomes, and attendance up to five years down the line.
