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Beyond Grade Retention Keith Mims California
State University Sacramento EDEA
282 During
the past 30 years, the educational pendulum has alternated between
advocating social promotion and supporting grade retention. The current
emphasis is on grade retention, which requires students to repeat the same
grade in order to master what was not learned.
As a result of standards-based promotion and retention policies, an
increased number of students who have not met the minimum level of
proficiency in the reading and math standards have been retained.
With
the significant increase in grade retention, educators are beginning to
acknowledge that grade retention is not a satisfactory response to
providing the needs of low performing students.
Wheelock (1999) contends that grade retention undermines
achievement, and is a poor substitute for good teaching and learning.
Studies comparing retained and comparable non-retained control
group students found that retained students do more poorly on follow up
measures of social adjustment, attitudes toward school, behavioral
outcomes, and attendance (Holmes, 1989).
The achievement levels of students, after being held back a grade,
still lags behind the achievement of their peers, and retention increases
the likelihood that students will drop out of school.
Being held back twice further increases the likelihood of dropping
out of school (Darling-Hammond, 1998). Darling-Hammond
(1998) suggests strategies that schools employ as alternatives to grade
retention. These strategies
must include intervention and supplementary programs that provide
instruction that is directly linked to the work the students are doing in
the classroom, do not take away from the core curriculum, and are a normal
part of the school routine. Some
of these widely used interventions and supplementary programs include the
following: a). Remedial
Reading & Math Classes; b).
Early Intervention Programs;
c). Mandatory Summer School; d).
Intersession Programs; e).
Saturday School;
f). Differentiated Instructional Strategies;
g). Expanding Class Size Reduction;
h). One-on-One Tutoring; i). Before and After School Programs; j). Extended Learning Day; and k). Preparatory Academies. In
addition to these strategies, Darling-Hammond (1998 further suggests that
schools provide opportunities for professional development for teachers,
redesign school structures to support more intensive learning, improve
practices to identify students who are at risk of grade retention, and use
assessment to guide academic instruction.
Further explanation is provided for each of these. Professional Development:
Teachers need an in-depth understanding of subject matter,
students’ diverse approaches to learning, and multiple teaching
strategies if they are to enable students to succeed. Schools must hire well prepared teachers, provide mentors for
novice teachers, provide systematic supports for ongoing professional
development, provide opportunities to plan, learn effective teaching
strategies, examine curriculum, observe effective teaching practices, and
to give and receive coaching. Redesigning School Structures: Studies in the United States have found that small schools
and those that personalize instruction by keeping the same teachers with
the same students for extended periods of time have fewer behavior
problems and higher achievement than large schools with highly
departmentalized structures in which the students move from one teacher to
another. Multi-grade
classrooms in which the students stay with the same teacher and a cohort
of peers for more than one year may help eliminate the need for grade
retention. Another approach to redesigning school structures to support
intensive learning is language immersion classes in which students receive
instruction in reading in a ‘block schedule’ format.
Targeted Services: Schools must improve practices to identify students with special learning needs, improve fragmented and ineffective service-delivery models, and examine approaches to train teachers to work with special-needs students. It is important to identify students early in order to provide appropriate instructional strategies. Many students who are identified as failing in the early grades struggle with reading. Literacy programs such as Reading Recovery and Success for All allow for one-on-one assistance and helps teachers develop techniques to improve their ability to teach reading. Classroom Assessments: Assessments that give detailed information about students’ levels of performance and their approaches to learning can determine how students can be helped most successfully. Along with standardized test data, educators need to use assessments that engage students in performance tasks such as essays examinations, oral presentations, problem-solving exercises, research projects, and teacher observations to determine student’s academic needs, gaps in learning, and to develop individualized academic action plans. With the significant increase in the number of students who have been retained and are at-risk of grade retention, the need to provide academic and social support to students is most urgent. Clearly, the practice of grade retention, without providing the appropriate interventions and support is not an effective approach to working with low performing students. Many schools are on the right track by developing and implementing interventions and supplementary programs that will improve the instructional program for at-risk students. Emphasis must continuously be placed on providing on-going professional development for teachers, providing opportunities for students to learn the necessary basic skills, and redesigning school structures to support intensive teaching and learning. References Darling-Hammond, L. (November, 1998).
Avoiding Both Grade Retention and Social Promotion.
Education Digest. George, C. (1993).
Beyond Retention: A
Study of Retention Rates, Practice, and Successful Alternatives
in California. Summary
Report. (April, 2001). Intervention
and Retention. California
Educator. Merrick, J. (September, 1998).
Student Success in a Standards-Based System:
Moving Beyond Social
Promotion and Retention. ACSA
Online. McCollum, P. (1999) Failing Our Children, Finding
Alternatives to In Grade Retention. Intercultural
Development Research Association. (May, 1999). Taking
the Responsibility for Ending Social Promotion:
A guide For Educators and State
and Local Leaders. Executive
Summary US Department of Education. Wells, A. (1989).
Middle School Education-The Critical Link in Dropout Prevention.
ERIC/CUE
Digests. Wheelock, A. (2000). Extra Help and Support to “Meet Standards” and Prevent
Grade Retention.
CTESTWEB. White, K. (April, 1999). Chicago Centers Targets 8th Graders in Transition.
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