Differences in Reading by the Retention Status of English Learners: A Texas, Statewide Investigation

Abstract

In this study, the degree to which Kindergarten retention was related to the reading performance of English Learners in Grade 3 was addressed. Through inferential statistical analyses of Texas statewide data, statistically significant differences were yielded between English Learners who had been retained in Kindergarten and their counterparts who had not been retained in Kindergarten. English Learners who had been retained in Kindergarten performed statistically significantly poorer on the Approaches Grade Level standard, the Meets Grade Level standard, and the Masters Grade Level standard on the Texas mandated assessment in Grade 3 than did English Learners who had not been retained. Clearly, retention in Kindergarten of these English Learners did not yield the intended outcomes. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.