On the Success of Failure : A Reassessment of the Effects of Retention in the Primary School Grades

This book is about the practice of grade retention in elementary school, a particularly vexing problem in urban school systems, where upward of half the students may repeat a grade. On the Success of Failure addresses whether repeating a grade is helpful or harmful when children are not keeping up. It describes the school context of retention and evaluates its consequences by tracking the experiences of a large, representative sample of Baltimore school children from first grade through high school. In addition to evaluating the consequences of retention, the book describes the cohort's dispersion along many different educational pathways from first grade through middle school, the articulation of retention with other forms of educational tracking (like reading group placements in the early primary grades and course-level assignments in middle school), and repeaters' academic and school adjustment problems before they were held back. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface to the Second Edition......Page 9 1 Grade Retention......Page 15 Falling Behind: The Magnitude of the Problem......Page 16 Some Costs of Retention, in Dollars and Otherwise......Page 23 Retention: Solution or Problem?......Page 25 Repeating a Grade: The Fairness Issue......Page 26 2 Research on Grade Repetition......Page 30 Negative Findings Overstated; Positive Findings Neglected......Page 33 Meaningful Comparisons: Same-Age; Same-Grade......Page 34 Research Indicating Positive Effects of Retention......Page 37 The Matching Strategy and Its Problems......Page 44 Other Weaknesses in Prior Studies......Page 46 3 Retainees in the “Beginning School Study”......Page 49 The Sample......Page 50 Strengths and Weaknesses of the BSS for Studying Retention......Page 52 Plan of the Book......Page 57 4 Children’s Pathways through the Elementary and Middle School Years......Page 59 Children’s Promotion Histories: E Unum Pluribus?......Page 60 Educational Sorting in the Elementary Grades......Page 62 Educational Sorting over the Middle School Years......Page 64 Educational Sorting in Relief: First Grade Retainees and Year 8 Seventh Graders......Page 67 Review of “Pathways” Through the First 8 Years of School......Page 68 School Transfers and Sample Attrition......Page 69 Who Is Held Back?......Page 77 Repeaters versus Promoted: Demographic Profile......Page 78 Repeaters versus Promoted Youngsters: Academic Profiles......Page 82 Repeaters versus Promoted Youngsters: School Adjustment Profiles......Page 84 Overview......Page 87 First Grade Repeaters versus Later Repeaters......Page 88 Single Repeaters versus Multiple Repeaters and Special Education Children......Page 89 Conclusions......Page 94 6 Achievement Scores before and after Retention......Page 96 Retainees’ CAT Gains in the Repeated Grade......Page 98 CAT Gains after Retention: Year by Year......Page 104 A Note on Children Held Back at Higher Grade Levels......Page 107 Cumulative Test Score Gains from the Failed Year......Page 108 Gains before and after Retention......Page 114 Overview of Performance Trends......Page 116 The Retention Picture More Fully Considered......Page 119 Summary......Page 124 Appendix......Page 125 7 Adjusted Achievement Comparisons......Page 131 First Grade Retainees: CAT Shortfall at the Start......Page 134 First Grade Retainees: Same-Age and Same-Grade Comparisons for the Failed Year......Page 135 First Grade Retainees: The Repeated Year......Page 140 First Grade Retainees after Retention......Page 142 Second and Third Grade Repeaters......Page 144 Retention and Test Performance: Taking Stock......Page 155 8 Academic Performance as Judged by Teachers......Page 158 Report Card Marks before and after Retention: More Indications of Success......Page 159 Regression-Adjusted Comparisons of Same-Grade Marks......Page 166 Retention and School Performance: What Have We Learned?......Page 171 9 The Stigma of Retention......Page 180 Academic Self-Image......Page 182 Expectations for Marks in Reading and Math......Page 186 Satisfaction with School......Page 188 Sense of Control......Page 190 Retention and Children’s Thinking: Regression-Adjusted Comparisons......Page 193 Academic Self-Esteem......Page 195 Conclusions......Page 199 Appendix......Page 208 10 Retention in the Broader Context of Elementary and Middle School Tracking......Page 212 Tracking in First Grade......Page 216 Tracking across the Elementary Grades into Middle School: Placements in Reading/English......Page 221 Tracking in Middle School: Reading/English, Math, and Foreign Language......Page 227 Tracking and Retention: Some Concluding Thoughts......Page 233 11 Dropout in Relation to Grade Retention......Page 237 High School Dropout as a Continuing Concern......Page 238 The Timing and Extent of Dropout in the BSS......Page 242 Risk Factors for Dropout......Page 246 Adjusting for Potential Confounds......Page 249 Discussion......Page 253 12 The Retention Puzzle......Page 256 Conflicting Views on Grade Retention......Page 257 The Gift of Time: Grade Retention and the Pace of Schooling......Page 263 Marginal Students and Educational Transitions......Page 264 The Beginning School Transition and Early School Failure......Page 265 The Middle School Transition and the Fading of Retention’s Benefits......Page 268 Breaking Out of the Retain–Promote Box: A Proactive, Early Intervention Approach......Page 272 Concluding remarks......Page 278 Appendix......Page 279 Our Response......Page 280 Our Response......Page 281 Their Argument......Page 282 Our Response......Page 283 Their Argument......Page 285 Our Response......Page 286 Their Argument......Page 287 Their Argument......Page 288 Our Response......Page 289 Their Argument......Page 290 Our Response......Page 291 Our Response......Page 292 Concluding Remarks......Page 293 References......Page 294 Author Index......Page 317 Subject Index......Page 324 On The Success Of Failure Addresses Whether Repeating A Grade Is Helpful Or Harmful When Children Are Not Keeping Up. It Describes The School Context Of Retention And Evaluates Its Consequences By Tracking The Experiences Of A Large, Representative Sample Of Baltimore Schoolchildren From First Grade Through High School. In Addition To Evaluating The Consequences Of Retention, The Book Describes The Cohort's Dispersion Along Many Different Educational Pathways From First Grade Through Middle School, The Articulation Of Retention With Other Forms Of Educational Tracking (like Reading Group Placements In The Early Primary Grades And Course-level Assignments In Middle School), And Repeaters' Academic And School Adjustment Problems Before They Were Held Back.--jacket. 1. Grade Retention: Lingering Questions -- 2. Research On Grade Repetition: Strong Opinions, Weak Evidence -- 3. Retainees In The Beginning School Study -- 4. Children's Pathways Through The Elementary And Middle School Years: Retention+ -- 5. Characteristics And Competencies Of Repeaters: Who Is Held Back? -- 6. Achievement Scores Before And After Retention -- 7. Adjusted Achievement Comparisons: The Need For Controlled Comparisons And The Multiple-regression Approach -- 8. Academic Performance As Judged By Teachers: Report Card Marks Before And After Retention -- 9. The Stigma Of Retention -- 10. Retention In The Broader Context Of Elementary And Middle School Tracking -- 11. Dropout In Relation To Grade Retention -- 12. The Retention Puzzle: Problem, Solution, Or Signal? Karl L. Alexander, Doris R. Entwisle, Susan L. Dauber. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 280-304) And Index. This study is about the practice of grade retention in elementary schools; a particularly vexing problem in urban school systems. The book describes the school context of retention and evaluates its consequences by tracking the experiences of a large, representative sample of Baltimore school children from first grade through high school. It addresses the complex question of whether repeating a grade is helpful or harmful when children are not keeping up with their coursework. Now in its second edition this study addresses the practice of grade retention in elementary schools. The authors evaluate the school context of retention and its consequences for students who view such non-promotion as perhaps humiliating or embarrassing Includes bibliographical references (p. 280-304) and indexes.Electronic reproduction.Boulder, Colo. :NetLibrary,2004.Available via World Wide Web.Access may be limited to NetLibrary affiliated libraries.