FW: Dr. Robert Brooks' Monthly Articles

[Sean Obrien <sobrien@columbus.rr.com>]

----------
From: "Dr. Robert Brooks" <newsletters@drrobertbrooks.com>
Reply-To: newsletters@drrobertbrooks.com
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:19:29 -0400 (EDT)

     

What's New:   

Seven Steps to Help Your Child's Social Skills  by Drs. Kristy Hagar, Sam
Goldstein, and Robert Brooks is available. Learn more
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=iyxp4xbab.0.ubu8cybab.xsdt6xbab.3433&ts=S0202&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fdrrobertbrooks.com%2Fproducts%2Findex.html%23sevensocial> .

Click here to see if Dr. Brooks will be speaking in a vicinity near you in
2006.   
Up-Dated Research and Reflections about Retention: A Questionable
Educational Practice that Continues to Flourish
 In November, 2002 I devoted my website article to a review of retention, a
frequently applied educational practice.  I emphasized that although
retention is used in schools throughout the United States, research
indicates that it is an ineffective strategy, often leading to a negative
outcome for those students who have been retained.  After the article
appeared, many parents and educators wrote to me.  Interestingly, most were
unaware of the large body of research that existed about this topic.
Several educators reported that their school regularly retained students,
but they often questioned the efficacy of doing so; they noted both the lack
of academic progress shown by retained students as well as the social stigma
that many of these students experienced from classmates.  Some parents wrote
to say that their child's school had recommended retention, but now that
they knew about the retention research, they had serious reservations about
accepting this course of action and wanted to explore other strategies to
help their children.

Several parents and educators who wrote described positive results for their
children or students who had been retained. I noticed that positive outcomes
seemed most associated with children who had been retained at an early age
such as kindergarten or first grade or when they transferred schools. For
example, one parent said that retention had been of benefit to her son,
although she added that he transferred to a different school the year he was
retained; to avoid possible embarrassment he informed his friends that his
new school was more demanding academically than the school he had previously
attended and that the fifth grade work he was doing in his new school was
similar to sixth-grade requirements at the school he had left. This mother
noted that if her son had not transferred to a new school, she did not think
that she and her husband would have approved his being retained.

Given the interest in the theme of retention and the start of a new school
year for millions of children and adolescents, I thought it was an opportune
time to up-date my earlier article. In part, my motivation to do so is based
on my awareness that during the upcoming school year thousands of parents
and educators will consider the option of retaining children. In making a
decision they should be aware of the research findings pertaining to
retention as well as possible alternatives to this intervention for
struggling students. Readers may wish to review my 2002 article for some
background material about retention as well as "social promotion" (i.e.,
promoting students even when they have not met basic academic requirements).

In my 2002 article I frequently referenced the writings of Dr. Shane
Jimerson, a school psychologist on the faculty of the University of
California at Santa Barbara, who I believe is one of the foremost experts
about the topic of retention. A few months ago, Jimerson and five colleagues
(Sarah Fletcher and Kelly Graydon from the University of California at Santa
Barbara, and Britton Schnurr, Amanda Nickerson, and Deborah Kundert from the
University of Albany, State University of New York) published a very
thoughtful article in the journal Psychology in the Schools, which continues
to raise serious reservations about the efficacy of retaining students.

Their article, titled "Beyond Grade Retention and Social Promotion:
Promoting the Social and Academic Competence of Students," quotes a report
from the Educational Research Service that notes, "Perhaps no topic in
public education suffers from a greater divide between the views of
researchers and the views of practitioners and the public. The existing
research overwhelming points to negative effects of retention."

A paradox is highlighted, namely that more children have been "left behind"
since the "No Child Left Behind" legislation was passed than before NCLB
existed. Jimerson (although the article was co-authored with the five
colleagues mentioned above, for simplicity I will use only Jimerson's name
when referring to the article) takes a very strong position about retention.
He argues, "Research examining the efficacy of grade retention suggests that
it is not likely to be effective in remediating academic failure and/or
behavioral difficulties; rather, it is essential to focus on instructional
strategies and specific interventions to facilitate the education of
children at risk for academic failure."

It is important to point out that Jimerson includes both academic and
behavioral issues when considering the impact of retention. Retained
students, compared with struggling students who were not retained,
demonstrated a lack of achievement in school. The few studies that indicated
positive achievement effects also found that the benefits diminished over
time and disappeared in the later grades. In terms of behavioral measures,
the retained students compared with a matched control group who were not
left back were found to have "poorer social adjustment, more negative
attitudes toward school, less frequent attendance, and more problem
behaviors." 

The data examining the long-term impact associated with grade retention
raise serious questions about the practice of having students repeat a
grade. Jimerson argues, "While there are few studies examining the efficacy
of early grade retention that extend through high school, longitudinal
studies that do exist have consistently demonstrated that retained students
are more likely to drop out than matched comparison groups of equally
low-achieving, but socially promoted, peers." In one study, retained
students "had lower levels of academic adjustment (i.e., a combination of
achievement, behavior, and attendance) at the end of Grade 11, were more
likely to drop out of high school by age 19, were less likely to receive a
diploma by age 20, were less likely to be enrolled in a postsecondary
education program, received lower education/employment-status ratings, and
were paid less per hour. . . . Results from other longitudinal samples have
yielded similar findings, suggesting poorer long-term outcomes for retained
students relative to a comparison group of low-achieving, but promoted
students." 

While one may argue that retention did not "cause" all of these negative
outcomes, it seems evident that retention did not serve as an effective
educational intervention for at-risk students. If anything, as mentioned
above, there are data to suggest retention is associated with poor outcome.
The question may be raised, "What factors contribute to these research
findings?" Jimerson attempts to answer this question within a
"transactional-ecological model that emphasizes early influences, multiple
contexts, and developmental processes in considering both the short- and
long-term developmental trajectories of retained students."

Jimerson explains, "From this perspective, current adaptation is influenced
by the individual's past and current circumstances, ecological contexts, and
previous developmental history. Therefore, considering the
transactional-ecological model of development should not be construed as a
single event causing all subsequent negative events but rather as an outcome
associated with a disadvantaged developmental history exacerbated by an
ineffective intervention. Without appropriate support and assistance,
children experiencing grade retention are likely to continue upon
developmental pathways characterized by low-achievement, poor adjustment,
and further academic failure. This helps to understand why grade retention
is typically an ineffective and potentially harmful intervention, as it does
not in and of itself address the needs of these low-achieving and/or
misbehaving students."

As I contended in my 2002 article, while retention is a questionable
practice, so too is social promotion. It makes little sense to promote
students who are lacking certain academic, cognitive, or emotional skills
and expect them to succeed at the next grade level. What does make sense is
to promote them, but offer interventions that actively and directly address
their areas of difficulty. This point parallels that of Jimerson's when he
observes, "Given the heterogeneous characteristics among retained students
and the assortment of needs, educational professionals have a responsibility
to delineate specific evidence-based intervention strategies that will
enhance the achievement and adjustment of individual students. Thus, there
should be an emphasis on early intervention designed to promote the social
and academic competence of students."

There are realistic, research-based alternatives to retention and social
promotion that Jimerson identifies in his article. I should like to review
them briefly to highlight that effective alternatives to retention do exist.
A more in-depth discussion of the issues related to retention may be found
by going to the following link, which has several of Jimerson's excellent
articles posted: www.education.ucsb.edu/jimerson/retention
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=iyxp4xbab.0.wbu8cybab.xsdt6xbab.3433&ts=S0202&p=htt
p%3A%2F%2Fwww.education.ucsb.edu%2Fjimerson%2Fretention> .

The following are intervention programs that directly address the academic
and behavioral issues of at-risk students, thereby providing choices other
than retention and social promotion for these students:

Preschool Intervention Programs. These programs strengthen basic skills
necessary for subsequent academic success. "Head Start and the Chicago
Child-Parent Centers (CPC) are two examples of early childhood intervention
programs that provide comprehensive educational and family support services
to children from economically disadvantaged families to increase school
readiness. . . . By enhancing skills for academic success through preschool
programs, retention may be prevented."

Comprehensive Programs to Promote Social and Academic Development. I have
long believed that children will be more prepared to master academic demands
when educators also focus on strengthening their social/emotional skills,
including problem solving, decision making, and learning to resolve
conflicts. Programs such as Dr. Myrna Shure's "I Can Problem Solve" offer
opportunities to teach children ways of thinking and behaving more
effectively. This leads to success in all aspects of school and lessens the
probability of children being left back.

Summer School and After School Programs. Jimerson observes that many
students may benefit from additional instructional opportunities that can be
scheduled during the summer or after school hours. He cites numerous studies
that demonstrate the positive impact of such programs, especially when
compared with the negative outcome of retaining students.

Looping and Multi-Age Classrooms. This intervention takes into consideration
the individual learning differences that exist among students and the
greater flexibility that is provided by the structure of looping and
multi-age classrooms. In looping classrooms, students spend two or more
years with the same teacher, which permits the teacher to provide
instruction that more effectively meets the needs of each student as well as
enhancing their strengths or "islands of competence." As the name implies,
multi-age classrooms include students of different ages and varying
abilities being placed together, permitting each student to move ahead at
his or her own pace. The structure of the classroom also allows students to
learn from one another. Jimerson states that "other countries that have
significantly lower retention rates in comparison to the United States often
use looping." 

School-Based Mental Health Programs. Students demonstrating mental health
and behavioral difficulties often lag behind their classmates academically.
These difficulties frequently prompt recommendations for retention. To
address this problem, some schools have implemented school-based mental
health programs to meet the mental health needs of students in a more
efficient manner. Preliminary research data suggest that such programs are
"promising interventions for promoting social and emotional competence" and
thus, lessening retention.

Parent Involvement. Studies demonstrate that parent involvement and
collaboration with teachers are associated with greater accomplishment among
students. Jimerson writes, "Policy changes that encourage parent
involvement, increasing understanding among administrators, teachers, and
staff, and inviting parents' involvement in all aspects of their children's
education are proactive strategies that may make parent involvement more
feasible." 

Early Reading Programs. Reading is an essential skill for almost all
learning. Children who have difficulty mastering this skill are at risk to
lag behind their classmates, to become discouraged, and to experience
feelings of hopelessness. Many are likely to become the students recommended
for retention. It is important to address vigorously this downward spiral by
providing "structured early reading programs that have been demonstrated to
promote student success." Retaining students who struggle with reading
without offering the intensive and systematic reading assistance they
require will not remediate the problem; instead it may exacerbate their
feelings of frustration and inadequacy.

Effective Instructional Strategies and Assessment. Jimerson notes, "There
are numerous teaching techniques which can be easily implemented within
existing classroom structures to increase student performance." He
specifically mentions direct instruction, Curriculum-Based Measurement,
cooperative learning, and the use of mnemonic strategies, all of which have
been demonstrated to enhance student performance.

Behavior and Cognitive Behavior Modification Strategies. These are
strategies applied to reduce disruptive behavior while increasing positive
classroom behaviors. Obviously, when a student's behavior improves, he or
she is better equipped to learn and less likely to fall behind and be
retained. 

After identifying these different intervention activities, Jimerson advances
an important position. "It is essential to accept the responsibility of
facilitating the progress of students who do not meet school/district/state
standards. Children do not arbitrarily fail to meet academic standards;
rather, their lack of academic success typically reflects the failure of
adults to provide appropriate support and to use scaffolding to facilitate
their early development and academic trajectories. . . . It is essential to
move beyond the question ?To retain or promote?' and prudent to focus on
?how to promote the social and academic competence of students.'"

As I read Jimerson's position, I could not help thinking about the view I
advanced in my 2002 article. At that time I wrote, "I appreciate that the
task of identifying and providing students with interventions that will
nurture their success is not always easy to achieve and in terms of dollars
can be costly. However, as we identify the obstacles that prohibit us from
delivering the most effective services we should keep in mind the possible
consequences if we neglect to provide these services, namely, children who
fail in school, who drop out emotionally and physically, whose dreams and
aspirations are eclipsed by a sense of hopelessness, and whose futures
become less promising and more bleak. Given these possible consequences, I
believe that the sensible choice is to devote our time, energy, and
resources to minimize those obstacles that hamper the success of any child
to succeed in school regardless of how daunting these obstacles may appear.
As we engage in this task, we will be wise to question and avoid educational
practices that research suggests may actually do more harm than good."

I feel even more strongly about this view than I did four years ago,
bolstered not only by ongoing research that continues to demonstrate the
negative impact of retention, but also by findings that identify
interventions that hold much promise for helping at-risk students succeed in
school. I hope that this research will be given serious consideration
whenever educators and parents struggle with the question of whether or not
to retain a particular student.

 

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