Grade Retention Research Articles

A cultura da reprovação em escolas organizadas por ciclos

RESUMO A reprovação está presente na educação brasileira desde a sua expansão, interferindo na trajetória escolar e na qualidade no ensino. Embora ações tenham sido tomadas para combater o problema, as taxas de reprovação e abandono persistem, retrato da permanência de uma pedagogia da repetência. Este trabalho investigou a crença de educadores sobre a reprovação e sua relação com práticas de avaliação em escolas públicas de ensino fundamental da rede municipal de Contagem-MG, Brasil, bem como a variação existente entre essas escolas. Por meio de um modelo de regressão logística multinível, foram definidas duas escolas em que se realizou uma pesquisa comparativa, com observação e entrevistas a educadores. Os resultados indicam que certas decisões avaliativas por vezes se distanciam de conhecimentos pedagógicos, influenciadas pela crença que a retenção de um aluno favorece o seu aprendizado, além de funcionar como um instrumento de coerção e justiça.

Relationships between Young Children’s School Readiness and Primary School Enrollment, Grade Retention and Completion in Rural Cambodia

Relationships between Young Children’s School Readiness and Primary School Enrollment, Grade Retention and Completion in Rural Cambodia

УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ ІНКЛЮЗИВНОЇ ОСВІТИ

The purpose of the article is to study current trends and ways of improving information support for the functioning of an inclusive education system in Ukraine. The automated system of inclusive resource center (AS «IRC») is defined as a set of software and hardware, based on information and telecommunication technologies provide for the creation of a single integrated information space in inclusive education for the processing of the information generated by the operation of the AS «IRC» and their information support. It is determined that through AS «IRC» teachers of general secondary education institutions and preschool institutions have the opportunity to compile individual development programs for children with special educational needs (SEN), using the findings previously developed by the experts of the inclusive resource centre. EMIS features are described in Ukraine, which operates by collecting information on enrolment, attendance, grade repetition, expulsion from school and graduation. A template is provided for the minimum recommended set of questions to identify children with SEN. Such monitoring makes it possible to identify and detail the difficulties faced by children / teachers, in contrast to the exclusive identification of disability (a certain nosology that is medically confirmed). The development of an inclusive education system in Ukraine is moving towards ensuring the availability and quality of educational services for children with SEN, which aims to improve the quality of information support. In the process of improving the functioning of the AS «IRC» indicators of inclusive education, it is necessary to ensure an organic combination of data already contained in the system with the data set (indicators) that will be collected to assess the effectiveness of educational services in the inclusive education segment. It is substantiated that data sets on the development of inclusive education should be clearly and consistently defined, and should include a wide range of information on children with SEN.

Should students repeat a school year? The case of grade 9 students in Colombia

This paper evaluates the relationship between grade repetition and academic performance of 9th grade students in Colombia. We use matching methods (propensity score, coarsened exact and entropy) to balance the distribution of characteristics of those students who were retained and those who were not. The results show that repetition negatively affects students’ performance in math (23% of a SD) and language (20.4% of a SD). Moreover, our findings show that the effect of grade repetition on female students’ achievement in language is positive and significant (5.6% of a SD), and in mathematics is negative and significant (19.7% of a SD).

Why East Asian students perform better in mathematics than their peers: An investigation using a machine learning approach

Using a machine learning approach, we attempt to identify the school-, student-, and country-related factors that predict East Asian students’ higher PISA mathematics scores compared to their international peers. We identify student- and school-related factors, such as metacognition–assess credibility, mathematics learning time, early childhood education and care, grade repetition, school type and size, class size, and student behavior hindering learning, as important predictors of the higher average mathematics scores of East Asian students. Moreover, country-level factors, such as the proportion of youth not in education, training, or employment and the number of R&D researchers, are also found to have high predicting power. The results also highlight the nonlinear and complex relationships between educational inputs and outcomes.

The Effects of Free Secondary School Track Choice: A Disaggregated Synthetic Control Approach

We exploit a recent state-level reform in Germany that granted parents the right to decide on the highest secondary school track suitable for their child, changing the purpose of the primary teacher's recommendation from mandatory to informational. Applying a disaggregated synthetic control approach to administrative district-level data, we find that transition rates to the higher school tracks increased substantially, with stronger responses among children from richer districts. Simultaneously, grade repetition in the first grades of secondary school increased dramatically, suggesting that parents choose school tracks also to align with their own aspirations – resulting in greater misallocation of students.

Having a Second Chance: The Consequences of Remedial Exams

Despite the wide popularity of schooling remediation policies --including grade retention and summer schools-- there is still limited evidence on policies outside the US. In Brazil, by law, schools must give under-performing students the opportunity of a remedial exam, which aims to increase students' course grades to a level above promotional thresholds. Using data from schools in Rio de Janeiro, this paper assesses the effects of remediation placement on the subsequent academic development of promoted students. We exploit the course grade cutoff determining promotion or remediation in a fuzzy regression discontinuity design. We find that assigning low achievers to a remedial exam increases the subsequent performance among those promoted to the next grade. They attain higher marks on cognitive and noncognitive assessments measured in the year after remediation. Female students drive these findings. Heterogeneous results indicate that the effects from sitting for a remedial exam are driven by a wake-up call to increase effort, rather than from acquisition of new skills for the remedial exam.

A cultura da reprovação em escolas organizadas por ciclos

RESUMO A reprovação está presente na educação brasileira desde a sua expansão, interferindo na trajetória escolar e na qualidade no ensino. Embora ações tenham sido tomadas para combater o problema, as taxas de reprovação e abandono persistem, retrato da permanência de uma pedagogia da repetência. Este trabalho investigou a crença de educadores sobre a reprovação e sua relação com práticas de avaliação em escolas públicas de ensino fundamental da rede municipal de Contagem-MG, Brasil, bem como a variação existente entre essas escolas. Por meio de um modelo de regressão logística multinível, foram definidas duas escolas em que se realizou uma pesquisa comparativa, com observação e entrevistas a educadores. Os resultados indicam que certas decisões avaliativas por vezes se distanciam de conhecimentos pedagógicos, influenciadas pela crença que a retenção de um aluno favorece o seu aprendizado, além de funcionar como um instrumento de coerção e justiça.

Immigration and the Short- and Long-Term Impact of Improved Prenatal Conditions

This paper investigates the effects of immigration from a developing country to a developed country during pregnancy on offspring's outcomes. We focus on intermediate and long-term outcomes, using quasi-experimental variation created by the immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in May 1991. Individuals conceived before immigration experienced dramatic changes in their environmental conditions at different stages of prenatal development depending on their gestational age at migration. We find that females whose mothers immigrated at an earlier gestational age have lower grade repetition and dropout rates in high school. They also show better cognitive performance during primary and middle school and in the high school matriculation study program. As adults, they have higher post-secondary schooling, employment rates, and earnings than those whose mothers migrated at a later stage of pregnancy.

Educational system: The policy of Educational system in Kurdistan Region in public Kindergarten

The main aim of this study is to examine the educational policy system of Kurdistan Region, teacher planning and attendance at kindergarten are inadequate. The problems in educational system are many for instance; lack of funding, low student motivation, low quality of kindergarten, lack of research, lack of rooms, lack of number of qualified teachers, out-dated curriculum. As a consequence, a large majority of Kurdistan graduates from emerge from kindergarten without the technical or social skills needed for them to be strong contributors in the future life. Education policy is principles and government arrangement making in instructive circle, and in addition the gathering of laws and tenets that administer the operation of instruction frameworks. Instruction happens in numerous structures for some reasons through numerous foundations. A quantitative method used to gather relevant information regarding the policy of educational system in kindergartens in Kurdistan region. Methods comprise the procedures used for generating, collecting and evaluating data. The researchers gathered data for the study through distributing questionnaires as primary data. The study was carried out in kindergartens in Erbil. The participants of the present study were 128 staff from different kindergartens in Erbil. The sampling technique will be random sampling method, where all employees from the kindergartens had equal chances of being selected for the sample. The population of the experimental study is all kindergartens in Erbil and the sample size is 128 units. Many different Kindergarten policies have been shown to produce positive effects on children’s learning and development, but those effects vary in size and persistence by type of program. Well-designed Kindergarten education policies produce long-term improvements in Kindergarten success, including higher achievement test scores, lower rates of grade repetition and special education, and higher educational attainment. Some Kindergarten policies are also associated with reduced delinquency and crime in childhood and adulthood. The strongest evidence suggests that economically disadvantaged children reap long-term benefits from Kindergarten. However, children from all other socioeconomic backgrounds have been found to benefit as well. Current public policies for child care, Children from middle-income families have least access, but many children in poverty also lack preschool experiences. Increasing Kindergarten subsidies under current federal and state policies is particularly unlikely to produce any meaningful improvements in children’s learning and development. Given the poor quality of much child care, it might instead produce mild negative consequences.

The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes

This paper measures impacts of removing children from families investigated for abuse or neglect. We use removal tendencies of child protection investigators as an instrument. We focus on young children investigated before age 6 and find that removal significantly increases test scores and reduces grade repetition for girls. There are no detectable impacts for boys. This pattern of results does not appear to be driven by heterogeneity in pre-removal characteristics, foster placements, or the type of schools attended after removal. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that development of abused and neglected girls is more responsive to home removal.

Are There Predictors of Success for Students With Disabilities Pursuing Postsecondary Education?

Students with disabilities are entering college in increasing numbers. Despite the increase, college persistence and completion remains a troublesome hurdle. Evidence-based practices and predictors have been identified for secondary-level students with disabilities; however, a parallel classification does not exist for postsecondary education. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine whether there are evidence-based predictors of college success with regard to retention, academic achievement, and graduation. Results indicated that although there are an insufficient number of studies to validate a core set of evidence-based practices at this time, there are a series of student-related practices that positively predict grade point average, retention, and graduation that warrant future investigation.

Hearing-related quality of life, developmental outcomes and performance in children and young adults with unilateral conductive hearing loss due to aural atresia

BackgroundWhile research has shown that children with single sided deafness have a lower quality of life and developmental outcomes compared to normal hearing peers, little is known about these domains in children with unilateral congenital conductive hearing loss due to aural atresia. ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate the hearing-related quality of life, developmental outcomes and educational performance in children and young adults with unilateral conductive hearing loss due to aural atresia. MethodsNineteen children and young adults with unilateral aural atresia received a set of five questionnaires. Hearing-related quality of life (SSQ), general quality of life (Kidscreen-27), speech and language development (CCC-2-Nl), educational performance and problems in social-emotional and behavioral domains (CBCL/YSR/ASR) were measured with validated questionnaires. Scores on the questionnaires were compared to their norm scores. Mann-Whitney U tests and independent t-tests were used to identify significant differences between age groups. ResultsMean scores on the SSQ subscales were speech 6.78, spatial 5.00 and quality 6.98. Mean scores on the Kidscreen-27, CCC-2-NL, CBCL/YSR/ASR fell within normal or non-clinical range. A high number of cases needed speech therapy (60.7%) or special measures in class (79.3%) or showed grade repetition (>30%) in primary or secondary school. ConclusionChildren and young adults with unilateral conductive hearing loss due to congenital aural atresia showed lower scores regarding hearing-related quality of life compared to normal-hearing peers. The result show similarities with children with single sided deafness. Regarding general quality of life, speech and language development and in social-emotional and behavioral domains the studied children and young adults seem to develop according to norm scores. It is important to observe these children closely as they may need guidance during education to allow them to thrive.

EFFECTS OF GRADE RETENTION POLICIES: A LITERATURE REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES APPLYING CAUSAL INFERENCE

AbstractThe identification of the causal effects of grade retention policies is of enormous relevance for researchers and policymakers alike. Taking advantage of the availability of more detailed longitudinal datasets, researchers have been able to apply different identification strategies that address the classical problems of selection bias and unobserved heterogeneity that have plagued previous studies on the effect of retention. We present a systematic literature review of empirical studies aiming to unveil the causal effects of retention. This study underlines the need to consider and evaluate different kinds of grade retention polices as their effects vary depending on several dimensions (such as timing of the policy, comparison groups, length of the effects or institutional settings). According to the results of our review, we conclude that grade retention is unlikely to be an efficient policy as the costs associated to the policy can easily outweigh the potential (weak) benefits of retention. It is therefore necessary to consider alternative policies to retention, or policies that can be used in combination with it, in order to enhance the performance of low achievers, in particular those students at risk characterized by a low ability profile.

Kindergarten Readiness, Later Health, and Social Costs.

To estimate associations between kindergarten readiness and academic, psychological, and health risks by end of high school. This study is based on 966 Canadian children. At age 5, trained examiners assessed child number knowledge and receptive vocabulary. Teachers reported kindergarten classroom engagement. At age 17, participants reported academic grades, school connectedness, anxiety sensitivity, substance abuse, physical activity involvement, and height and weight. High school dropout risk was also estimated for each participant on the basis of grades, school engagement, and grade retention. Kindergarten math skills contributed to better end-of high school grades (β = .17, P < .01) and lower dropout risk (β = -.20, P < .001), whereas receptive vocabulary predicted lower anxiety sensitivity (β = -.11, P < .01). Kindergarten classroom engagement predicted higher end of high school grades (β = .17, P < .001), lower dropout risk (β = -.20, P < .01), better school connectedness (β = .15, P < .01), lower risk of substance abuse (β = -.21, P < .001), and more physical activity involvement (β = .09, P < .05). Kindergarten classroom engagement was also associated with a 65% reduction (odds ratio = 0.35) in the odds of being overweight at age of 17. Analyses were adjusted for key child (sex, weight per gestational age, nonverbal IQ, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors) and family (parental involvement, maternal depression and immigrant status, family configuration, and socioeconomic status) characteristics. Early childhood readiness forecasts a protective edge by emerging adulthood. With these findings, we build links between education and health indicators, suggesting that children who start school prepared gain a lifestyle advantage. Promoting kindergarten readiness could reduce the health burden generated by high school dropout.

Academic Challenges and School Service Utilization in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

To describe the academic concerns and risk strata of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) as identified through a parent-directed screening tool and to compare the rates of these concerns with actual school service utilization in the clinic population. We completed a retrospective review of patients with SCD referred to the school intervention program during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years because of a school-related concern raised by parents or noted by the clinical team. All parents completed the Brief School Needs Inventory (BSNI), a validated parent-response tool used to stratify academic risk. Rates of special education services, grade retention, and results from neuropsychologic testing were captured. Clinical history, the use of disease-modifying therapy, and results from laboratory and neuroimaging studies were also obtained. Descriptive statistics were performed to examine demographic information, clinical history, and BSNI results. In total, 137 unique patients (age range, 14months to 19years) completed the BSNI during the study period, for 181 events. According to BSNI risk-stratification, 45% of patients were deemed low, 36% moderate, and 19% high academic risk. Over one-half of parents were concerned about their ability to advocate for their child's needs. Despite legal qualification for a Section 504 accommodation plan, only 20% had established plans. Academic concerns were common with 31% of children reporting an individualized education program and 20% with grade retention/remediation. Concerns for academic challenges remain high among parents of children with SCD; however, school service utilization remains disproportionately low attributable to numerous reasons.

Tutoría entre iguales en contextos de educación intercultural. Propuesta de intervención en el marco de los Proyectos INTO y E-EVALINTO Peer tutoring in intercultural education environments. Projects INTO &amp; E-EVALINTO

En las últimas décadas el porcentaje de estudiantes extranjeros ha aumentado en las aulas, este aspecto desemboca en mayor heterogeneidad del cuerpo estudiantil, incluyendo un aumento de sus necesidades. Con el fin de dar respuesta a esta situación se configura el Proyecto INTO[1] y, posteriormente, el Proyecto E-EVALINTO[2]. La finalidad de estos proyectos es potenciar la técnica de tutoría entre iguales en un contexto de educación intercultural, para ayudar a los alumnos inmigrantes a mejorar sus resultados académicos, su integración en la sociedad de acogida y reducir sus niveles de abandono escolar temprano, absentismo, repetición de curso, entre otros aspectos. En este artículo, se presenta la planificación de los Proyectos INTO y E-EVALINTO en el contexto español, desde la investigación de la situación del colectivo estudiantil extranjero y la metodología a utilizar. Posteriormente, desde un enfoque metodológico mixto (cuantitativo y cualitativo), mediante estudio de casos, se aplican un focus group, cuestionarios tipo Likert, un diario y una entrevista semi-estructurada. Los resultados finales, obtenidos de datos de los instrumentos mencionados, permiten concluir que la experiencia es positiva, remarcando la necesidad de alargar la misma en el tiempo, a la vez que, integrar a otros colectivos estudiantiles, en situaciones de exclusión. En conclusión, la experiencia desarrollada en el contexto español avala la necesidad de técnicas relacionadas con la interacción entre estudiantes para mejorar tanto aspectos académicos como ligados a la convivencia.&#x0D; &#x0D; Projects INTO &amp; E-EVALINTO are both European Projects developed inside the European Union call, nowadays ERASMUS + and successfully assessed as a “good practice” in the environment of this projects. The agreement that made the team had the objective, through peer tutoring in a context of intercultural education, of helping migrant students to improve their academic performance, their integration in the host societies and reduce their level of early leaving school, absenteeism, grade retention, among other things. To achieve this, it is vital to plan and apply a process in which the situation of migrant students, group which at first is the target if the project, and peer tutoring is reviewed, the strategy to use as well. Another substantial step is the training for both the professionals involved and the students to prepare them for their new responsibilities in the teaching-learning process. This way in this article, special attention is paid to the development of this project in Spain, as well the results obtained through the study case. Said results were very highly assessed by everyone involved.

Social Inclusion of Children with Persistent Challenging Behaviors

Children in early childhood classrooms (i.e., preschool through early elementary) who engage in persistent challenging behaviors often show social-emotional delays and are at risk for grade retention, referral to intervention or special education, and long-term educational and societal consequences. The social-emotional delays children with persistent challenging behaviors have could impact play skills, emotional regulation, and social interactions with peers. These skills impact their ability to function within their classroom environment. However, if the classroom teacher is able to promote a socially inclusive classroom environment that integrates children into the classroom community, ensure equitable and active participation in social activities with typically developing peers, and promote reciprocal and positive relationships with peers and adults, children who engage in persistent challenging behaviors may be more successful in school, and have more positive outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to identify ways to create a socially inclusive environment for children who engage in persistent challenging behaviors and/or who have social-emotional delays or disabilities.

Uso de TERCE-UNESCO para informar la práctica educativa: factores que influyen en el aprendizaje en Ciencias en Chile y Paraguay

Las evaluaciones internacionales proveen información valiosa más allá de la atención que acaparan los ranking de países en la prensa. Los estudios de factores asociados al logro permiten obtener evidencia importante para la toma de decisiones en el ambito educativo. Diversos mediciones internacionales levantan permanentemente información de este tipo, incluso para Latinoamérica. Pese a esto, pocos estudios han abordado comparativamente dentro de región los factores que influyen el aprendizaje de los estudiantes en ciencias. El presente estudio examinó los efectos de distintos antecedentes personales y de las prácticas docentes que inciden sobre el logro educativo en ciencias de los estudiantes de Chile y Paraguay, mediante el uso de los datos del TERCE. Mediante un modelo multinivel, controlando por variables de socioeconómicas del estudiante y de las escuelas, se identificó que las variables repitencia y asistencia a preescolar son importantes predictoras del logro en ciancias en ambos países. Por otro lado, las prácticas docentes incluidas presentaron resultados diversos, pues para Chile sólo la inasistencia del docente resultó ser un gran predictor, mientras que en Paraguay todas las prácticas medidas mostraron una influencia significativa. De esta forma la evaluación TERCE permitió identificar similitudes entre los factores que impactan en distintos países...

Determinante del desempeño en lectura en Uruguay: un análisis multinivel a partir de TERCE

El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar los factores que influyen en el desempeño de los estudiantes al final de la escuela primaria en Uruguay. Los datos del Tercer Estudio Regional Comparativo y Explicativo (TERCE) de la UNESCO se utilizaron para identificar los factores asociados con el rendimiento escolar en lectura. Las relaciones entre los indicadores contextuales y el desempeño de los estudiantes se analizaron a través de modelos jerárquicos lineales que consideran los efectos de las características de las escuelas, los maestros, los estudiantes y sus familias en el dominio de la lectura. El análisis confirma la importancia de los factores a nivel del estudiante asociados con características tales como género, antecedentes familiares, expectativas educativas de los padres y repetición. Los factores institucionales representaron una parte menor de la varianza total explicada. La capacidad de las escuelas uruguayas para influir en el aprendizaje es considerablemente limitada, incluso después de tener en cuenta la composición de la escuela y sus efectos contextuales.