Retained students showed smaller three-year achievement gains than previously socially promoted students, though Rasch adjustment erased the gap for once-retained third graders¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2000 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? After Rasch equating, retained third graders gained about the same as social promotes (1.6 logits each; 1.3 for retained twice), but retained sixth graders, especially double-retained, still showed smaller gains. → Roderick 2000

Evidence¶

Roderick 2000¶

Roderick, M., Nagaoka, J., Bacon, J., & Easton, J. Q. (2000). Update: Ending Social Promotion: Passing, Retention, and Achievement Trends Among Promoted and Retained Students 1995-1999. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://www.consortium-chicago.org

q2 · i? · causal · r1

Rasch-equated three-year growth analysis (Figures 12 and 14) adjusting for test-level effects. The brief states it "cannot yet conclude that retention is having significant negative effects on achievement, but in neither comparison are retained students doing better."

"socially promoted students in 1995 gained 1.6 logits, compared to 1.6 for third graders retained once and 1.3 for third graders retained twice."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Mid-year promotions after retention neither helped nor harmed students' tested achievement in basic skills — related
• Fewer than 60 percent of retained third and sixth graders in 1998 and 1999 raised their test scores to the promotional cutoff even with an extra January chance to pass — related
• Retained sixth graders had lower achievement growth than promoted low-achieving counterparts — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Neither promotion nor retention significantly closed the achievement gap of low-achieving students close to the cutoff, and the lowest achievers deteriorated further — related
• Third-grade retention under the Chicago policy produced no sustained academic benefits or substantial negative effects — related
• Retained third and sixth graders were placed in special education at about three times the rate of comparable low-achieving students — related
• Summer Bridge produced short-term test-score gains and allowed more students to meet promotion cutoffs, particularly among sixth and eighth graders — related
• Retained students struggled in their second time through the promotional policy, with only about half meeting cutoffs and eighth graders doing worst — related
• Students who were promoted made larger achievement gains than students with the same propensity for retention who were retained, in almost all grades — related
• Third grade is the notable exception where retained students did not make smaller gains, likely due to the ITBS Level 8 to Level 9 test format change — related
• Retention under Mississippi's test-based promotion policy led to substantial and sustained 6th-grade ELA gains for retained students — reports the opposite