There have been studies done since before I became a teacher. And now that I’m retired, I’m talking about decades of research:
Jimerson looked at 20 studies published between 1990 and 1999, and concluded that they “fail to demonstrate that grade retention provides greater benefits to students with academic or adjustment difficulties than does promotion to the next grade.” In many studies, students who were retained had worse academic achievement and social-emotional outcomes than students who were not.
Another research review from Jimerson and his colleagues, this one published in 2002, found that grade retention was also linked strongly to dropping out of high school.
-source
The source also brings up the racist underpinnings that too often support holding kids back. I said before, but just to reiterate, there is a problem that needs to be addressed, but retention is demonstrably not the answer.
None of these studies account for mental disabilities that impact learning. There are so many people who were kids in the timeframes of those studies who are getting ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, and other diagnoses more recently that would completely change the outcomes of the studies.
There are numerous students who need accommodations that schools aren’t trained for, don’t have the money for, or have staff that don’t believe any accommodations should exist. The very active public attack on schools that’s been happening (funding cuts including funding specifically for disabled students, terrorizing teachers and students, etc) is exacerbating the issue.
The solution is to get the government to actually support students instead of funnelling money to the rich and trying to keep the masses dumb and compliant.
There have been studies done since before I became a teacher. And now that I’m retired, I’m talking about decades of research:
The source also brings up the racist underpinnings that too often support holding kids back. I said before, but just to reiterate, there is a problem that needs to be addressed, but retention is demonstrably not the answer.
None of these studies account for mental disabilities that impact learning. There are so many people who were kids in the timeframes of those studies who are getting ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, and other diagnoses more recently that would completely change the outcomes of the studies.
There are numerous students who need accommodations that schools aren’t trained for, don’t have the money for, or have staff that don’t believe any accommodations should exist. The very active public attack on schools that’s been happening (funding cuts including funding specifically for disabled students, terrorizing teachers and students, etc) is exacerbating the issue.
The solution is to get the government to actually support students instead of funnelling money to the rich and trying to keep the masses dumb and compliant.
Thanks for responding. Yeah that makes sense.