Q: We have a child in the first grade. At our recent parent-teacher conference the teacher told us that our daughter may need to be retained next year because she is slow in grasping new concepts and acts much younger than the other kids in the class. Our older daughter had the same teacher three years ago, so we know she’s a good teacher, yet we’re reluctant to have our daughter held back a grade. We would appreciate your thoughts on retention.
A: Retention is a common educational practice, though not supported by research, many teachers and administrators continue to believe in its effectiveness. The most current research concluded that there are no clear benefits to retaining students and that the practice can have harmful effects on students’ achievement and self-esteem—even decreasing the likelihood of them graduating. When retained, children may show initial improvements over children who are not held back, but these gains are usually short-lived. There are effective alternatives to retention at all grade levels. It is crucial to address the needs of students by providing effective interventions that specifically target weaknesses and build upon strengths. Schools have screening programs to identify children at risk for school failure. The best defense against retention is to be pro-active, ask about after-school tutoring, summer school courses and instructional technology available to your child at their individual school site. Each school’s resources are different.
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