Repeating A Grade In School

Thousands of parents are presented with the question of whether to hold their child back to repeat a grade in school. I would strongly advice that parents read the research on the effectiveness of repeating a grade as a way of improving academic performance. The authority on the matter is Dr. Shane Jimerson (could be spelled Jimmerson). I must say that most schools and teachers would not want you to read what he has found during his years of research. The long and short of it is that there is a short term positive effect (the next year). By the third year after repeating a grade, the child's academic performance is even worse than the year that they had to repeat. In the final analysis, children who repeat even one grade in school have a better chance of dropping out. Repeating two grades makes drop-out even more likely. Three repetitions, and dropping out is a virtual guarantee. Long term research indicates that, as a group, adults who repeated a grade as a child make much less money than those who were asked to repeat a grade but did not do it. The problem with grade repetition in North Carolina is that school administrators have absolute power over holding a child back. A parent can refuse, and it still has to be done unless they make the choice (a wise one I'd say) to home school the child or enroll him/her in private school for a year. I am certain that there are small numbers of people who think that they benefited from repeating. Requiring a child to repeat a grade is just not a gamble that is worth taking.

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Permalink Reply by Maureen McKeon on January 24, 2009 at 4:43pm: Wow, thanks for sharing that. Very interesting.

I wonder, though, about other factors that may be at play in these children's lives that may also contribute to them dropping out or making less money as adults. Do they have a learning disability? What are their home lives like? And, what was done with the children to address the issues that caused them to be held back?

What did the researchers do to be sure that the conclusions they drew were really due to the child repeating a grade?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Steve Edelman on January 26, 2009 at 3:23pm: Thanks for your reply. This biggest disaster in the grade repetition drama has been holding back children who have learning disabilities, or who are developmentally delayed. Just one retention of any child with a disability is likely to cause drop-out. The other foolish part about grade repetition is the fact that it is often done to children who fail only one or two subjects, but have done fine (meaning, at least average - a C) in other subjects. This means that they are being punished for their other academic achievements. Pundits have said that repetition works best when children experience a different, but same grade level, curriculum during the repeated year. Nice try, I say, because that is never done (not at least here in Cumberland County, and probably nowhere in NC). The researchers matched up retained children with groups of children that were similar in academic performance but were promoted (the later group called "socially promoted"). The same research clearly demonstrates that socially promoted children do better in all outcomes. Reading the literature is fascinating if that sort of stuff interests you. The researchers were very careful. You asked a good, thought out question though. You should see the expert writing of Dr. Harrison Cooper who has spent his academic life investigating the merits and demerits of homework - that is fascinating as well.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shafiqua La'Shaun Simmons on July 28, 2009 at 10:12pm: Hi, my name is shafiqua my son Zamonta is repeating the 3th grade i feel like it is all my fault due to me wotking all the time but i had no other chose i am a single mother i have to do what i have to do . what should i do my family help me out alote but i don't want im to repeat another grade. please help.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Steve Edelman on August 20, 2009 at 2:28pm: I don't know what school your child is at. I recommend that you tell the principal to do a Google (or other computer search) for the name, Shane Jimerson. He has devoted a lifetime to researching grade repetition. Social promotion has been shown to be a more effective intervention than grade repetition. The biggest problem with grade repetition is that it often is done because a child has difficulty in only one or two subjects. This means that the child has to repeat subjects that he has already passed. Another problem with grade repetition is that the child goes over the same material in the same way, perhaps with a different teacher. That is just asking for the child to be BORED. There is very little that is right about repetition. In the long term, here is what happens (I promise). The child's grades improve during the repeated year. The next year, the child might barely pass. By the second year after the retained year the child does worse than he has ever done before. This is also demonstrated by research. Another important fact to point out is that no major educational organization has endorsed it as an intervention. The Principal's Association even condemns it. Grade repetition is a terrible idea. The next thing to consider is whether your son has learning disability, vision impairment, auditory processing problem, or hearing problem.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Crystal Brooke Shields on August 20, 2009 at 8:25pm: Hi, Shafiqua
Its not your falt, you have to do what you have to do also. But just tell Zamonta how you will always be there, and you can be anything you wont to be, when something puts you behind work harder and It will pay off in the long run. I wish back then someone had told me that. Ask Zamonta what do you wont to be when you grow up? Be happy for what ever they say and tell them I just dont wont you to work as hard as me and make somthing out of your self. Take and Hour out of the week and 5, 10, 15 min this day and on this day and work on school work or it could just be a workbook or a paper you can get online to work on. It will pay off, and you have to let him know it will also. Even if you work all the time Zamonta looks up to you, just as all kids do to there parents. You can not change the past but You can change the Future That goes for anybody I tell my son that and he is only 5. I hope this helped you, Crystal; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Crystal Brooke Shields on August 20, 2009 at 8:10pm: I believe that 100%
My mom was told in Kindergarten that I was not ready for the 1st grade, do to some test. I came from a good home, I did not have a learning disability eather. I put in TK1, as I went on I had good grades but I got board alot in class so it caused me to get into trouble and such but when I got in the 3, 4 ,5 then so on my grades started to fall.. As I got into High School I went droped out in the 10th Grade. Now I'm 25 and working on getting my GED I only have 2 test left and I plan to go to College be a positive roll model for my Son and not only for him but for me also. It has nothing to do with your personal life, a disability. And other people that was put in TK1 with me only 5 made it thru High School that I know of. I'm shocked that they did a study on this, I Agree with this 100%; ▶ Reply to This