Please, Not Another Push to Get Tough on Student Retention

Standardized academic testing, under-performing schools, demands for high standards in America's schools and current levels of student dropouts have resulted in renewed calls for "getting tough on student retention." The push for student retention is demanded by school boards and othe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Planning & changing Vol. 42; no. 3-4; pp. 209 - 223
Main Author: Norton, M. Scott
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Normal Department of Educational Administration and Foundations 01.10.2011
Illinois State University
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Academic Support Services
Administrator Role
Advocacy
At Risk Students
Behavior
Boards of Education
Cancer
Discipline
Dropouts
Education
Educational Research
Evidence
Grade Repetition
Identification
Learning
Learning Problems
Learning Processes
Learning Strategies
Parent Participation
Parent School Relationship
Politics of Education
Predictor Variables
School boards
School environment
School Holding Power
Self Esteem
Social Promotion
Student Promotion
Student retention
Studies
Teacher Role
Teaching
ISSN:0032-0684
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Summary:Standardized academic testing, under-performing schools, demands for high standards in America's schools and current levels of student dropouts have resulted in renewed calls for "getting tough on student retention." The push for student retention is demanded by school boards and others in spite of the overwhelming research evidence that student retention in-grade does not support the improvement of student academic performance or personal behavioral qualities. Social promotion whereby students move to the next grade level even though they have not mastered the academic requirements of a particular grade also is being questioned due to its unsatisfactory academic results. At this time in history, education researchers and practitioners do not have "best answers" to the on-going problem of student promotion. This article briefly discusses relevant research on student promotion and then gives primary attention to alternatives to student retention and social promotion. Emphasis is placed on the paramount importance of early identification of unsatisfactory learning performance and the continuous monitoring of student performance for each individual student. School organizational considerations such as new and/or expanded student learning strategies are presented. Re-engagement of students in the learning process, the need for teacher and administrator student advocacy, and efforts for preventing student failure are discussed. Strengthening parental involvement and recommendations for programs of professional development are considered from the perspective of fostering greater links to student achievement. (Contains 1 figure.)
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ISSN:0032-0684