Abstract
This study examined the impact of retention at kindergarten on academic achievement and behavior. Subjects were 53 children, retained at kin dergarten, who were matched to a group of 53 promoted peers on demo graphic characteristics, a measure of school readiness, and preacademic achievement in reading and mathematics. The data were analyzed using both same-age and same-grade comparisons. Results indicated an academic advantage of the retained children during their second year in kindergarten. This advantage was not maintained past kindergarten. Although retained children demonstrated a decline in attention problems during their second year of kindergarten, they continued to perform below the norm for their school districts on academic achievement. The data in this report do not suggest that retention is an effective policy for the young at-risk child.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.