Retention and Social Promotion Topics Page

Retention and Social Promotion
Articles l Resources l Flyers

We receive dozens of emails every week about retention, social promotion and high-stakes testing. Despite clear evidence that retention does not work - and that it damages children - many school districts continue to use this outmoded policy.

If you are dealing with a retention problem, you must educate yourself before you can advocate for the child. Download and read these articles, the Position paper from the National Association of School Psychologists, and the American Federation of Teachers.

Make copies of these documents for members of your child's team - they support the position that retention is not an appropriate intervention.

Articles

Retention! Special Ed Teacher Needs Help, Ammunition - A special ed teacher disagrees with her mentor teacher about retention. She says, "research shows that retention is not successful, and inappropriate to recommend retention for students with IEPs." He says she is wrong. Sue Heath offers ammunition for teachers and parents who are dealing with retention.

10 Strategies to Fight Mandatory Retention & Other Damaging Policies by Sue Heath. Learn how you can find answers to questions in the law and strategies you can use to fight mandatory retention and other damaging policies.

High Stakes! Can the School Use a Single Test to Retain My Child? - Research editor Sue Heath answers questions from parents about high-stakes testing and mandatory retention.

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Ammunition / Resources from Others

Grade Retention - Achievement and Mental Health Outcomes (National Association of School Psychologists) 6th grade students rated grade retention as the single most stressful life event, higher than the loss of a parent or going blind. Retained students are less likely to receive a high school diploma by age 20, receive poorer educational competence ratings, and are less likely to be enrolled in any post-secondary education program. Retained students receive lower educational and employment status ratings and are paid less per hour at age 20.

Position Statement on Student Grade Retention and Social Promotion (National Association of School Psychologists) "Through many years of research, the practice of retaining children in grade has been shown to be ineffective in meeting the needs of children who are academically delayed."

The Grade Retention Fallacy (Harvard Civil Rights Project) "Research tells us that fear and humiliation are not the strongest motivators for struggling students."

Retention is Not the Answer. (Wrightslaw) A North Carolina school psychologist writes about retention and social promotions, and his state's policy of retaining children while ignoring research that retention is not an appropriate intervention.

Should I Allow the School Retain My Child? (Wrightslaw) Advice to a parent's frequently asked questions about retention - generally, it is not a good idea.

To Promote or Retain? (Wrightslaw) Summary of research on retention which shows that retention is not an appropriate intervention for children who have academic delays.

Ending Social Promotion Download this 85 page publication from the U. S. Department of Education. "Neither social promotion nor retention is appropriate for students who do not meet high academic standards." http://www.ed.gov/PDFDocs/socialprom.pdf

Passing on Failure, Eliminating Social Promotion (American Federation of Teachers) "Grade-by-grade standards for students are essential. These standards support academic rigor and ensure fairness by defining the expectations for success for all students."

Response to Intervention: Research For Practice
As interest in Response to Intervention (RtI) continues to grow, researchers and practitioners have asked for research that validates this approach to teaching all students. Now, for the first time, NASDSE has gathered in one book an annotated bibliography of research about RtI. This book serves as a compliment to NASDSE’s best selling earlier book on RtI, Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation. As this 224-page book clearly shows, RtI is a research-based strategy that has proven positive outcomes for many students, including those with disabilities. download pdf, 224 pages

Response to Intervention: A Primer for Parents - from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). This paper explains (a) the essential components of Response to Intervention; (b) key terms; (c) the role Response to Intervention plays in special education eligibility; (d) how parents can be involved in the process; (e) potential benefits of RTI; and (f) next steps in implementing RTI approaches.

If you want to help others learn about special education law and advocacy, please download, print and distribute Wrightslaw information flyers. Where can you distribute flyers? At school meetings, doctor's offices, hospitals, and day care centers!