ERIC Documents Database Citations & Abstracts for Grade Repetition in Early Childhood Education
Instructions for ERIC Documents Access
Search Strategy:
Grade Repetition OR Social Promotion [as ERIC Descriptor/Identifier, with heavily weighted status]
AND
Transitional Programs OR Extra Year Programs (Kindergarten) OR School Readiness OR Screening Tests OR Child Development [as ERIC Descriptors}
AND
Early Childhood Education or Young Children OR Primary Education OR Kindergarten or Grade 1 [as ERIC Descriptors]
EJ559367 CS754855
Research vs. Practice: Kindergarten Retention and Student Readiness
for First Grade.
Peel, Betty B.
Reading Improvement, v34 n4 p146-53 Win 1997
ISSN: 0034-0510
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Examines whether retention continues to be embraced by North
Carolina teachers. Surveys (1) how many children were promoted but
considered (by teachers) not ready for promotion; and (2) reasons
given for retention and/or lack of readiness for first grade. Notes
that as many children were retained as were deemed not ready for
first grade but were promoted anyway. (PA)
Descriptors: *Educational Practices; Educational Research; *Grade
Repetition; *Kindergarten; Primary Education; *School Readiness;
Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Surveys
Identifiers: North Carolina
EJ556611 CG551502
Predicting Early School Success with Developmental and Social
Skills Screeners.
Bain, Sherry K.; Agostin, Tracy McKee
Psychology in the Schools, v34 n3 p219-28 Jul 1997
ISSN: 0033-3085
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Identifies developmental, social skill, and problem behavior
subdomains that best predict academic achievement and grade promotion
or retention in the early school years. Tests of 184 students at the
end of kindergarten and then one year later indicate that social
skills assessment should be included in kindergarten screening
packages. (RJM)
Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Child Development; Children;
*Grade Repetition; *Interpersonal Competence; *Predictor Variables;
Primary Education; *Screening Tests; Student Promotion
EJ543408 PS526425
Differences in Social Adjustment and Classroom Behavior between
Children Retained in Kindergarten and Groups of Age and Grade Matched
Peers.
Pianta, Robert C.; And Others
Early Education and Development, v8 n2 p137-52 Apr
1997
ISSN: 1040-9289
Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143); JOURNAL ARTICLE (080)
Compared children retained in kindergarten with matched samples of
age and grade mates, using teacher ratings as an index of their
social and academic skills. Found that retained children showed a
reduction in behavior problems, specifically acting-out and shy-
anxious behaviors, but only slightly increased competence for task
orientation across time. (SD)
Descriptors: Behavior Problems; Child Behavior; Comparative
Analysis; Emotional Adjustment; *Grade Repetition; Kindergarten; *
Kindergarten Children; Low Achievement; Primary Education; School
Readiness; *Social Adjustment; Social Behavior; *Student Adjustment;
*Student Behavior; *Student Placement; Student Promotion;
Underachievement
ED414076 PS026085
The Elementary School Performance and Adjustment of Children Who
Enter Kindergarten Late or Repeat Kindergarten: Findings from
National Surveys. National Household Education Survey. Statistical
Analysis Report.
Zill, Nicholas; Loomis, Laura Spencer; West, Jerry
Westat, Inc., Rockville, MD. 1997
78p.
Sponsoring Agency: National Center for Education Statistics (ED),
Washington, DC.
Available From: National Library of Education; phone: 800-424-1616;
fax: 202-219-1696 (single copy, free).
Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Some parents have chosen to delay their children's enrollment in
kindergarten by a year because of individual differences in the pace
and pattern of children's development. In other situations, some
schools recommend delaying a child's school entry based on
"readiness" testing or require that some kindergartners attend
kindergarten for a second year. Data from the 1993 and 1995 National
Household Education Surveys show that about one child in seven either
entered kindergarten late or was required to repeat kindergarten.
The surveys found similarities between these two categories of
children, but also some notable differences pertaining to gender,
race, and developmental delays. The surveys found striking
differences in later school performance (in grades one and two)
between children who were held out of kindergarten and children who
repeated kindergarten. The performance of those who had been held
out of kindergarten was found to be better in first and second grade
than that of children who entered kindergarten at the prescribed age.
In contrast, those who were required to repeat kindergarten were
doing worse than their first- and second-grade peers. First- and
second-graders in 1993 who had repeated kindergarten were more likely
than children who had not repeated kindergarten to receive negative
feedback from their teachers. When demographic, socioeconomic, and
developmental factors were taken into account, the differences in
school performance were reduced, but remained significant in the 1993
survey. In the 1995 survey, however, controlling for these
background factors essentially eliminated the differences between
student who were held out and other first- and second-graders. The
same was true of performance differences between the students who had
been retained and other students. The surveys did not find evidence
that children who may have been at increased risk of experiencing
difficulties in school benefited from (or were harmed by) delayed
kindergarten entry. The same was true of kindergarten retention.
(Interview items from both years, analyses, and logistic regression
model coefficients are appended. Contains 44 references.) (HTH)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Developmental Delays; *Grade
Repetition; Grade 1; Grade 2; Individual Development; *Kindergarten;
Kindergarten Children; *Performance Factors; Primary Education;
Racial Differences; School Entrance Age; *School Readiness; Sex
Differences
Identifiers: *Delayed School Entry
ED410063 PS025752
Coming to School in Connecticut: Accepting Children As They Are.
Issue Papers Developed by the Connecticut Early Childhood Education
Council. Revised.
Connecticut Early Childhood Education Council. May 1996
42p.; For earlier version, see ED 341 493.
Document Type: EVALUATIVE REPORT (142)
This document consists of seven policy issue papers developed by
the Connecticut Early Childhood Education Council, an action-oriented
coalition of statewide organizations concerned with early childhood
education. Members include teachers, school administrators,
children's librarians, child care providers, Head Start directors,
State Department of Education early childhood consultants, and
teacher educators. Definitions of several key terms and concepts are
provided, including: developmental appropriateness, screening
process, developmental screening tests, readiness tests, achievement
tests, diagnostic tests, intelligence tests, readiness, transition,
delayed entry, retention, and extra-year program. The seven issue
papers discuss: (1) readiness; (2) transition; (3) kindergarten
entrance procedures; (4) developmental screening; (5) achievement
testing; (6) retention; and (7) extra year programs. Included in
each paper are discussions of current educational practices related
to the issue, answers to questions to consider about the issue,
recommendations for policy changes, strategies for bringing about
change, and a list of sources. A total of 71 sources are provided. (LPP)
Descriptors: *Achievement Tests; Definitions; Developmental Stages;
Early Childhood Education; *Grade Repetition; Individual Differences;
*Kindergarten; *School Entrance Age; *School Readiness; Screening Tests
Identifiers: Age Appropriateness; Connecticut; *Developmental
Screening; Developmentally Appropriate Programs; Educational Issues;
*Extra Year Programs (Kindergarten)
ED402025 PS024767
Transitional First Grade, Retained, Held Out and Promoted Samples:
An Explanatory Summary of Initial and Concomitant Longitudinal
Academic and Behavioral Findings.
Ferguson, Phil
15 Oct 1996
84p.
Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143)
This 10-year study compared the achievement of 3 samples of
students designated at-risk for school failure and 1 sample deemed
not at risk, and followed a transitional first-grade school readiness
program (SRP) population from prekindergarten through eighth grade to
identify contextual factors associated with student progress. At-
risk samples were students in a transitional first grade (SRP);
students recommended for the transitional program but not placed (SRP-
NP); and students retained in kindergarten, first, or second grade
(RET). A sample of promoted students (PRO) was designated as non-
risk. A group of students held out (HO) for a year prior to
kindergarten had unknown risk status. Data were collected through
readiness tests, teacher ratings, parent surveys, standardized
achievement tests, report cards, and other school records. Outcomes
were contrasted for comparative analysis between samples. Results
indicated that SRP students underachieved the PRO students on all
salient measures from second grade onward. They did not perform
better than the SRP-NP group on any achievement measure. SRP
students rated as aggressive (close to 35 percent) had lower
achievement than nonaggressive SRP students. SRP students were
subsequently referred to and placed into special education by second
grade more often than PRO students, SRP-NP students, and HO students,
but at the same rate as RET students. The most significant early
risk factors for poor achievement among SRP students were increased
age and distinct aggressiveness. Successful SRP students had higher
initial achievement test scores and mothers with higher levels of
education than nonsuccessful SRP students. Initial kindergarten
behavioral and parental factors were better predictors of second-
grade achievement than readiness measures. Ratings of personal-
social deficits in kindergarten predicted lower seventh-grade grade
point averages. (Contains 131 references.) (KDFB)
Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Academic Failure; Comparative
Analysis; *Grade Repetition; High Risk Students; Longitudinal Studies;
Outcomes of Education; *Primary Education; Program Evaluation;
Quasiexperimental Design; *School Entrance Age; School Readiness;
Student Promotion; *Transitional Programs; Underachievement
ED370190 EA025821
Transition Classes: Alternative Learning Environments That
Perpetuate Inappropriate Curriculum in Surrounding Grades.
Ostrowski, Patricia Maslin
Apr 1994
24p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, April 4-8, 1994).
Document Type: CONFERENCE PAPER (150); RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Many schools across the United States have created a new grade
between kindergarten and first grade, called transition classes, to
deal with low-achieving kindergarten and first-grade students. Upon
completion of the transition class, students return to a regular
class, where they usually remain a year behind their age cohorts.
This paper presents findings of a case study that examined how three
New England school districts used transition programs to manage a
problem of readiness and failure in the early primary grades. Data
were derived from: (1) a total of 53 interviews with administrators,
support staff, teachers (kindergarten, pre-first grade, first grade,
and second grade), and two groups of parents (those who enrolled
their children in transition programs and those who refused); (2)
observations of transition, kindergarten, first-grade, and second-
grade classes; and (3) document analysis. Findings indicate that
although the pre-one programs studied provide a developmentally
appropriate learning environment, they perpetuate the continuation of
a curriculum built on homogeneity and a lockstep system of grades and
constitute a mild form of tracking that equals an extra year in
school. Recommendations are made to design the curriculum around
Kliebard's metaphors of growth and travel; shift the burden of
readiness from children to the schools; center the structure of
elementary schools around parents and the community; empower
teachers; utilize the inclusion model; and abolish the lockstep
system of grades. Two tables are included. (LMI)
Descriptors: *Grade Repetition; Kindergarten; Learning Readiness;
*Low Achievement; Primary Education; *School Readiness; *Student
Placement; Track System (Education)
EJ493674 PS522636
Transition Classes, a Growing Concern.
Patton, Mary Martin; Wortham, Sue Clark
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v8 n1 p32-42 Fall-Win
1993
ISSN: 0256-8543
Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143); JOURNAL ARTICLE (080)
Examined the extent of extra-year programs for kindergarten
students in Texas school districts; identified procedures and
curricular interventions; and established the growth trend of these
classes statewide. Found that 39% of the 285 school districts
responding had transition classes, and the trend for the state at-
large appeared to be one of growth. (WP)
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education; Educational Trends; *Grade
Repetition; *Kindergarten; Preschool Curriculum; School Readiness;
State Surveys; *Student Placement; *Transitional Programs
Identifiers: Developmentally Appropriate Programs; Texas;
Transition to School
ED363440 PS021902
Characteristics of Children Who Are "Behind" in School.
McArthur, Edith K.; Bianchi, Suzanne M.
Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, Md.; National Center for
Education Statistics (ED), Washington, DC. Jul 1993
24p.; Paper presented at the American Statistical Association Joint
Statistical Meeting (San Francisco, CA, August 8-12, 1993).
Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143); CONFERENCE PAPER (150)
Using a subsample of data relating to 4,668 first- and second-
graders and their families from the 1991 National Household Education
Survey, a study examined different ways of measuring whether a child
is behind in grade and compared these measures with data about
children who are below modal grade levels. Several profiles emerged.
Children delayed in starting kindergarten tended to be non-black
boys, born in the second half of the year, who lived in the Midwest,
and whose parents had at least a high school education. Children who
repeated kindergarten tended to be boys, born in the second half of
the year, who lived in the South or West, and who did not attend
preschool. Children who repeated first grade tended to be black
boys, who did not attend preschool, and who lived in low-income
households. Children below modal grade level tended to be those in
the above three categories (56 percent) as well as children who had
neither delayed entry into school nor repeated kindergarten or first
grade (42 percent). The profile that dominates in this case is one
of non-black boys, born in the third quarter of the year, who live in
the South or Midwest, who did not attend preschool, and who had low
household income. (MDM)
Descriptors: Academic Failure; *Age Grade Placement; Differences;
Grade 1; *Grade Repetition; Kindergarten; National Surveys; Primary
Education; Racial Differences; Regional Characteristics; *School
Entrance Age; School Readiness; Sex Differences; Social Differences;
Socioeconomic Influences; *Student Placement; Student Promotion;
*Young Children
Identifiers: *National Household Education Survey
EJ450523 PS519662
Doing Harm by Doing Good: Iatrogenic Effects of Early Childhood
Enrollment and Promotion Policies.
Meisels, Samuel J.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, v7 n2 p155-74 Jun
1992
Special Issue: Research on Kindergarten.
ISSN: 0885-2006
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); REVIEW LITERATURE (070);
POSITION PAPER (120)
Recent emphases on school readiness and standardized testing have
resulted in educational practices with negative consequences for
children. These practices include a higher school entry age, grade
retention, transition programs, and the practice of enrolling
children in kindergarten when they are six, rather than five, years old.(BC)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Educational Practices;
*Educational Trends; Enrollment; *Grade Repetition; Kindergarten;
Primary Education; *School Entrance Age; *School Readiness;
Standardized Tests; *Transitional Programs
Identifiers: *Iatrogenic Effects
ED357894 PS021564
A Review of the Effects of Extra-Year Kindergarten Programs and
Transitional First Grades.
Karweit, Nancy L.; Wasik, Barbara A.
Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Disadvantaged
Students, Baltimore, MD. Nov 1992
29p.
Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement
(ED), Washington, DC.
Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
This review examines the effects of three educational practices on
children's readiness for first grade. The practices, kindergarten
retention, developmental kindergarten, and transitional first grade,
are intended to provide children with an early extra year to give
them more time to prepare academically and socially for regular first-
grade classrooms. The review is primarily based on studies that
compared students who were placed in these programs with students who
were recommended for placement but whose parents refused to place
them in the program. The studies employed same-grade or same-age
comparisons. Three studies on kindergarten retention indicated that
there was a favorable result of retention on children's academic
achievement in the year of retention, but that the effects did not
persist. Two longitudinal studies of developmental kindergartens
revealed a similar pattern of positive effects on children's academic
achievement in the year spent in developmental kindergarten, followed
by a fading of positive effects over time. The results of the seven
studies reviewed on transitional first grades did not support the
practice's long-term effectiveness as an educational intervention.
The review concludes that none of the practices was more effective
than simple promotion. Whether given an extra year or promoted,
children with academic and maturation problems continued to have
academic difficulties through the elementary grades. (TJQ)
Descriptors: Ability Grouping; *Academic Achievement; Academic
Failure; Grade 1; *Grade Repetition; High Risk Students;
*Kindergarten; *Kindergarten Children; Literature Reviews; Primary
Education; *School Readiness; *Transitional Programs
Identifiers: *Extra Year Programs (Kindergarten)
EJ433431 PS518903
Retaining Children: Is It the Right Decision?
Nason, R. Beth
Childhood Education, v67 n5 p300-04 1991
Theme Issue: Are Schools Really for Kids?
ISSN: 0009-4056
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
Reviews research concerning the effects of retention of
kindergarten and first grade students and alternatives to such
retention. (BB)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Elementary School Students;
*Elementary School Teachers; *Grade 1; *Grade Repetition;
*Kindergarten Children; Literature Reviews; *Outcomes of Education;
Primary Education; Public Education; School Entrance Age; School
Readiness Tests; Self Concept; Transitional Programs
Identifiers: *Developmentally Appropriate Programs; Nongraded
Instruction
ED334056 RC018269
Kindergarten Retention. Burning Issues Series.
National Preschool Coordination Project, San Diego, CA.; San Diego
County Office of Education, CA. 1991
24p.
Sponsoring Agency: California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.
Office of Migrant Education.
Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
This information packet contains nine articles that outline current
trends in kindergarten retention/exclusion and their negative impact
on student outcomes, particularly for high risk students. The 1980s
saw increasing numbers of children required to repeat kindergarten,
attend a transitional grade before first grade, or wait an extra year
before starting school. Disproportionate numbers of these children
have not attended preschool or are male, young compared to
classmates, or members of minority groups. Advocates believe that
kindergarten retention prevents school failure caused by immaturity
and, thus, is different from retention in later grades. However,
research findings reveal that kindergarten retention has the same
negative effects as later retention: low self-esteem, poor attitudes
toward school, and increased risk of becoming a high school dropout.
In addition, controlled studies that followed retained children as
far as the fifth grade found that they performed no better
academically than "unready" children whose parents had insisted on
promotion. The increasing academic demands of kindergarten and first
grade are inconsistent with the normal development of 5- and 6-year-
olds. Ironically, retention and exclusion, intended to protect
children from inappropriate expectations, actually contribute to the
escalation of demands, thereby placing more children at risk. As the
average age and experience of kindergarten students rise, teachers
find it difficult to teach to the normal 5-year-olds in the class.
Administrators respond by advancing the cutoff date for school
entrance. A more developmentally appropriate curriculum is needed in
the early grades. (SV)
Descriptors: *Grade Repetition; *High Risk Students; *Kindergarten;
Kindergarten Children; Migrant Children; *Minority Group Children;
Potential Dropouts; Primary Education; Reading Readiness; School
Entrance Age; *School Readiness; School Readiness Tests; Student
Development; Student Promotion; Teacher Expectations of Students;
*Transitional Programs; Young Children
ED318542 PS018713
The Use of the Gesell Screen in the Placement of Young Children: A
Research Review.
Beryl Buck Inst. for Education, San Rafael, CA. [1989
18p.
Available From: Beryl Buck Institute for Education, P.O. Box 4950,
San Rafael, CA 94903 (free).
Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
Target Audience: Administrators; Teachers; Parents; Practitioners
This research review summarizes the current research literature
regarding Gesell screening. It also explores the controversy over
whether developmentally unready children should be held out of
kindergarten, retained at the end of the kindergarten year, or placed
in pre-kindergarten or pre-first grade classes. A seven-page
bibliography on developmental screening and retention is included.(PCB)
Descriptors: Admission (School); *Early Childhood Education; *Grade
Repetition; Individual Development; *School Readiness; *Screening
Tests; *Student Placement; *Transitional Programs; Young Children
Identifiers: *Gesell Developmental Tests
EJ375728 UD513768
Flunking Kindergarten: Escalating Curriculum Leaves Many Behind.
Shepard, Lorrie A.; Smith, Mary Lee
American Educator: The Professional Journal of the American
Federation of Teachers, v12 n2 p34-38 Sum 1988
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141);
REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
Study of kindergarten retention in Colorado reveals the following:
(1) kindergarten retention does nothing to boost subsequent academic
achievement; (2) regardless of what it is called, kindergarten
retention creates a social stigma; and (3) kindergarten retention
feeds the escalation of inappropriate academic demand in first grade.
Policy implications are discussed. (BJV)
Descriptors: *Academic Failure; Child Development; Curriculum
Development; *Early Childhood Education; *Grade Repetition;
*Kindergarten; Kindergarten Children; Preschool Education; Primary
Education; Theory Practice Relationship; *Young Children
Identifiers: Stigma
ED303278 PS017804
Retention/Promotion/Transition in the Early Grades: A Research
Brief.
Newman, Joan A.
Educational Service District 189, Mt. Vernon, Wash.
Apr 1988
9p.
Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
In general, retention at any grade level has not improved student
achievement or social adjustment. Skimpy data on transition rooms
seem to indicate that they are not very successful either. The
reasons that have been given to explain why retention has not worked
range from the school's inability to diagnose student needs to rigid
curriculum and modes of instruction which have not addressed the
culture, style, or initial skill level of incoming children. Mere
repetition of a given grade has only served to widen the gap between
retained and promoted children. When retention has worked, it has
been in the earliest grades, when diagnosis has been careful and
accurate; special resources have been applied; and individual needs
and styles have been given close attention. Sections of this
research brief: (1) provide background information on nonpromotion;
(2) probe related issues; (3) outline decision models for retention-
promotion policies; and (4) indicate alternatives to retention. (RH)
Descriptors: *Decision Making; Early Childhood Education;
*Educational Policy; Educational Practices; *Grade Repetition;
*Models; *Student Promotion; *Transitional Programs
ED296787 PS017437
A Review of Research Literature on the Effects of Pupil Retention.
Towner, Daniel R.
21 Jul 1988
47p.; Exit Paper, Indiana University at South Bend.
Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070); BIBLIOGRAPHY (131);
DISSERTATION (040)
Target Audience: Practitioners
Based on research selected from a search of the ERIC database, this
literature review covers material that concerns academic achievement
of retained students, social and psychological effects of retention,
and recommendations for educators making retention decisions. After
a definition of terms, 31 articles are extensively annotated. Most
research suggested that retention did not significantly improve
academic achievement. Existing data did not support competency-based
promotions. Delay of school entry and use of special transition
classes were ineffective in bolstering achievement scores. (RH)
Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Annotated Bibliographies;
*Educational Practices; Elementary Education; *Elementary School
Students; *Grade Repetition; Guidelines; Literature Reviews;
*Psychological Patterns; *Social Development
EJ342574 EA520513
Synthesis of Research on School Readiness and Kindergarten
Retention.
Shepard, Lorrie A.; Smith, Mary Lee
Educational Leadership, v44 n3 p78-86 Nov 1986
For related articles, see this issue.
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); EVALUATIVE REPORT (142);
REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
Target Audience: Practitioners; Policymakers; Researchers
Summarizes school readiness and retention research issues,
including youngest first graders' performance, entrance age policies,
voluntary decisions to wait an extra year, assessment of children's
readiness, and the negative effects of kindergarten and first-grade
retention. Concludes that age disadvantages are seldom serious and
usually disappear by the third grade. Cites 52 references. (MLHH)
Descriptors: *Age Differences; *Cognitive Development; *Grade
Repetition; Kindergarten; Primary Education; *School Readiness;
*Testing; *Young Children
ED261776 PS015255
Nonpromotion of Primary Grade Students: A Teacher's Guide.
Murphy, Georgene M.
Jun 1985
43p.
Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); BIBLIOGRAPHY (131);
REVIEW LITERATURE (070)
Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
This teacher's guide reviews the literature on grade retention and
promotion to help teachers make decisions concerning students in the
primary grades. A brief introduction provides a statement of the
problem; outlines the purpose, organization, and limitations of the
study; and presents a glossary. Annotated citations for 34 studies
are subsequently offered, and findings are summarized. The research
was found to be inconclusive as to advantages or disadvantages of
nonpromotion; however, cautions are issued against indiscriminate
retention. Recommendations are made for selective retention, pupil
identification, and retention decision procedures. (RH)
Descriptors: Annotated Bibliographies; *Elementary School Students;
Glossaries; *Grade Repetition; Guidelines; Literature Reviews;
Primary Education; *Student Needs; Student Promotion; *Teacher
Responsibility
Identifiers: *Social Promotion
EJ386004 PS516488
How Best to Protect Children from Inappropriate School
Expectations, Practices, and Policies.
Bredekamp, Sue; Shepard, Lorrie
Young Children, v44 n3 p14-24 Mar 1989
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141);
NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055)
Describes ways in which well-intentioned efforts to protect young
children from inappropriate school practices have had the opposite
effect. Readiness testing, retention, transition classes, tracking,
and increased entrance age are discussed. Alternative strategies are
proposed. (BB)
Descriptors: Educational Strategies; *Elementary School Students;
Expectation; *Grade Repetition; Kindergarten; *Kindergarten Children;
Predictive Validity; Primary Education; *School Entrance Age; *School
Readiness Tests; Screening Tests; *Transitional Programs
Identifiers: *Developmentally Appropriate Practices
ED323245 TM015450
Longitudinal Effects of Retention and Promotion in Kindergarten on
Academic Achievement.
Banerji, Madhabi
Florida Journal of Educational Research, v30 n1 p59-72 Fall 1988
1988
16p.
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Same-year and same-grade comparisons were made of a matched sample
of students who had been retained in kindergarten for a second year
and who had been promoted after 1 year from kindergarten within the
Pasco County (Florida) School System. Retained subjects (n=34)
consisted of kindergarten students enrolled in the system's
developmental kindergartens during the 1984-85 academic year. The
developmental program constitutes a component of the state-legislated
Primary Education Program for at-risk students. A matched group of
non-retained subjects (n=33) was used as a control. Longitudinal
performance in first, second, and third grades was studied using
standardized test scores in reading and mathematics, and students'
performances were compared using multivariate analyses and Bonferroni
comparisons. For both the same-year and the same-grade comparisons,
significant group effects were found in reading; however, significant
group effects were found in mathematics only for same-grade
comparisons. Significant interaction effects were found for both
disciplines. Results underscore the possibility that an
individualized education plan during the retained year could be
partly responsible for the improvement in performance for retainees.
Five data tables and four graphs are included. (Author/TJH)
Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Child Development; Comparative
Analysis; *Grade Repetition; Individualized Education Programs; *
Kindergarten Children; Longitudinal Studies; Mathematics Achievement;
Primary Education; *Program Evaluation; Reading Achievement;
*Remedial Programs; Student Development; *Student Promotion
Identifiers: Pasco County School District FL; *Primary Education
Program FL; School Effects
ED297884 PS017525
Two Years of Kindergarten: Ethical and Curricular Considerations.
Billman, Jean
1988
18p.
Document Type: POSITION PAPER (120)
Using tests that are neither reliable nor valid, school districts
are currently categorizing large numbers of children as unready for
entrance into kindergarten and first grade. Parents are being asked
to wait a year before sending their children to public school classes
or to place them in a pre-kindergarten class. Other children
complete kindergarten but are retained or placed in a transition
class before they can proceed to first grade. Affecting one-fourth
to one-third of all children, these procedures are disturbing and
unjustified, as discussions of birthdate effects on early school
success, screening tests, exclusionary practices, retention and
transition classes, and changes in the kindergarten curriculum over
the last 20 years show. Data indicate that setting up barriers to
access to educational settings does not benefit the children excluded
or retained. Curriculum and entrance policies must be changed so
that kindergarten can become an environment that accepts all 5-year-
olds and helps them to pass on to first grade. Schools must accept
diversity in all spheres of development and employ well-trained
teachers who use appropriate strategies to help all children succeed
in the early years of schooling. (RH)
Descriptors: Educational Practices; *Elementary School Curriculum;
*Grade Repetition; *Kindergarten; Predictive Validity; Primary
Education; *School Entrance Age; *Screening Tests; Test Reliability;
*Transitional Programs
EJ364550 CG533245
Effects of Kindergarten Retention at the End of First Grade.
Shepard, Lorrie A.; Smith, Mary Lee
Psychology in the Schools, v24 n4 p346-57 Oct 1987
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Compared two groups of children who were equally unready for school
at start of kindergarten: one group (N=40) was retained in
kindergarten and the other group (N=40) was not retained. When
compared after completion of first grade no differences were found on
outcome measures of reading achievement, math achievement, social
maturity, learner self-concept, or attention. (Author/ABL)
Descriptors: *Elementary Education; Grade 1; *Grade Repetition;
*Instructional Effectiveness; *Kindergarten; *Kindergarten Children;
*School Readiness
EJ306358 CG527146
The Effects of Developmental Placement and Early Retention on
Children's Later Scores on Standardized Tests.
May, Deborah C.; Welch, Edward L.
Psychology in the Schools, v21 n3 p381-85 Jul 1984
Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); RESEARCH REPORT (143)
Examined the relationship between early school retention as a
result of preschool and kindergarten developmental testing and
children's later academic achievement (N=223). Results showed
children who scored as immature on the Gesell Screening Test and who
were retained a year had the lowest scores on all measures. (JAC)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Elementary Education; Elementary
School Students; *Grade Repetition; Maturity Tests; Preschool Tests;
*School Readiness; Student Development; *Student Placement
Identifiers: *Gesell Developmental Tests
ED248459 CS007682
A Study of the Effects of a Pre-First Grade Transitional Class as
Compared with First Grade Retention on Reading Achievement.
Zinski, Joanne Pica
Florida Educational Research and Development Council, Inc.,
Sanibel.
Florida Educational Research and Development Council Research
Bulletin, v17 n1 Sum 1983 1983
57p.
Available From: FERDC, P.O. Box 506, Sanibel, FL 33957 ($3.00).
Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143); SERIAL (022)
A study was conducted to determine if participation in a pre-first
grade transactional program would be more effective than grade
repetition in enhancing first grade readiness. The transition
program emphasized the acquisition of academic and behavioral skills
necessary for a successful first grade experience. Students in the
program were trained to sit at desks for increasing periods of time,
work independently of the teacher, listen to and follow directions,
and copy from the board. Reading instruction stressed visual and
auditory discrimination of letters and sounds, letter-sound
associations, and other readiness skills. The Language Experience in
Reading and Peabody Language Kits were also used in the program. The
design of the study was an ex post facto comparison of two groups.
Transition repeater students were compared to nontransition repeaters
at the end of their second first grade year on standardized reading
and language achievement tests and on reading levels in the Holt
series. Results indicated no significant difference in scores of the
two groups on the reading and language tests. Teacher ratings of
student performance also showed no significant differences in the two
groups. (FL)
Descriptors: Comparative Analysis; *Grade Repetition; *High Risk
Students; Primary Education; Program Content; *Program Effectiveness;
Program Evaluation; Reading Achievement; *Reading Research; School
Holding Power; *School Readiness; Transitional Programs
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