This study investigated the changing achievement relationships among students based on ages at entry into first grade and ages relative to their classmates. Data from students in grades 4, 8, and 11 were selected from National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement data in mathematics, science, and reading collected from national samples of year-old students. Relative age, class age, sex, parental education, home environment, and type of community were entered in stepwise multiple regression analyses. The achievement data for Caucasians indicated that the significantly higher achievement of the oldest as compared to the youngest students at age 9 remained significant, but decreased at age 13, and disappeared by age 17. For blacks, while the trend did not decrease at age 13, it also disappeared at age 17. A second analysis of the proportion of students retained one grade revealed significantly increasing proportions of retained students as relative age became younger for Caucasians and blacks. Clinical screening based on sex and school district entrance age requirements was suggested for several groups. Signs of inadequate readiness in some of these groups pose potentially serious threats to academic careers and suggest delaying entrance for a year. Is there a best age for all children to enter the first grade? This difficult question has long concerned parents, educators, administrators, and legis-This article is based on a paper given at Downloaded from LANGER, KALK, AND SEARLS lators (Hedges, 1977). The common criterion used by school districts for entrance into the first grade has been chronological age, with admission usually allowed only at the beginning of the school year (Jones, 1968). Such a simple criterion has obvious administrative advantages but also encourages pressure for change from parents and teachers. The result is frequent legislative reexamination of the laws governing entrance age (Carline, 1964; Educational Research Service [ERS], 1975). The confusion and ambiguity about these policies can be seen in the range of 5 calendar months among the entrance age requirements for the nation's school districts (ERS, 1975; National Institute of Education, 1978). But school budget constraints and inadequate research have left the simple age requirement as the normal admission policy to first grade. Comparisons of the academic achievement of children entering school at the opposite ends of the normal 12-month entrance age period have demonstrated that the younger students receive lower school grades and score lower on achievement tests. These findings have been consistent, starting with Bigelow (1934), through King (1955), Green and Simmons (1962), Carrol (1963), and Hall (1963).Most of the research has dealt with both restricted populations and grade ranges. However, in a study covering a more extended grade range, Miller and Norris (1967) found the initial academic differences attenuating between normally entering older and younger children as they progressed through elementary school.The Colema...
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