Retention substantially improves school grades in the first year (math grades ES = 1.010), with gains maintained in subsequent years¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 Lag 1 retention effects were significantly positive for math, German, and other-subject grades (ESs = .452 to 1.010), largest for math. → Marsh 2017 q3 i? Lag 2-4 effects on school grades were all non-significant, showing the initial gains were maintained. → Marsh 2017 (2)

Evidence¶

Marsh 2017¶

Marsh, H. W., Pekrun, R., Parker, P. D., Murayama, K., Guo, J., Dicke, T. and Lichtenfeld, S. (2017). Long-term positive effects of repeating a year in school: six-year longitudinal study of self-beliefs, anxiety, social relations, school grades, and test scores. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109 (3). pp. 425-438. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000144

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

End-of-year school grades from school records in the longitudinal SEM showed significantly positive Lag 1 retention effects for all three grade measures, with printed effect sizes ranging from ES = .452 to ES = 1.010, "particularly large for math school grades (mean ES = 1.010)".

"Lag 1 retention effects were significantly positive for all three measures of school grades (ESs = .452 to 1.010). The results were particularly large for math school grades (mean ES = 1.010)"

Marsh 2017 (2)¶

Marsh, H. W., Pekrun, R., Parker, P. D., Murayama, K., Guo, J., Dicke, T. and Lichtenfeld, S. (2017). Long-term positive effects of repeating a year in school: six-year longitudinal study of self-beliefs, anxiety, social relations, school grades, and test scores. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109 (3). pp. 425-438. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000144

q3 · i? · causal · r2

The same analysis found all Lag 2-4 grade effects non-significant, so the first-year gains were maintained; no effect sizes were printed for these lagged effects.

"Although we anticipated that the corresponding Lag 2–4 effects might be negative (but left this as a research question), these effects were all non-significant, demonstrating that the substantial positive effects of retention on school grades in the first year following retention were maintained in subsequent school years."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Retention improves math self-efficacy and reduces math anxiety in the first year, with effects maintained (anxiety showing a positive sleeper effect at Lag 4) — related
• Retention improves perceived positive teacher support, but not perceived parental assistance or peer appreciation of math — related
• Grade retention has positive effects on math self-concept in the first year following retention, maintained over subsequent years — related
• When retained students are compared with non-retained students in the same year in school (offset comparisons), retention effects on math test scores are positive — related
• Retention effects are developmentally invariant across students retained in Years 5, 6, 7, and 8, and mostly positive overall — related