Sorting out successful failures: Exploratory analyses of factors associated with academic and behavioral outcomes of retained students

Abstract

This prospective longitudinal study followed a sample of 106 kindergarten students through 11th grade examining the effects of family characteristics, school readiness, socialization, and student demographics on academic achievement and behavioral adjustment outcomes. These educational outcomes were contrasted among four groups consisting of: 1) early grade retainees; 2) transitionally placed retained students; 3) students recommended for transitional placement, but promoted; and 4) regularly promoted students. While previous studies examining the efficacy of early grade retention focus exclusively on between-group comparisons, this study examines the family and individual characteristics of successful and unsuccessful retained students by including both between-group and within-group effects on academic and behavioral outcomes. The results of this study demonstrate that retained students' initial school readiness, socioeconomic status, mother's level of education, parental value of education, kindergarten personalsocial functioning, and chronological age are distinctly associated with subsequent academic or behavioral outcomes. Variables associated with relative educational success following early failure are delineated and research implications are discussed.

Using the LOTCA to Measure Cultural and Sociodemographic Effects on Cognitive Skills in Two Groups of Children

“…One may assume that highly educated mothers more readily encourage their children's development of these skills. These results support those of other studies emphasizing the impact of mothers' education on their children's academic success and behavioral adjustment outcomes (Ferguson, Jimerson, & Dalton, 2001;Loeb, Fuller, Kagan, & Carrol, 2004;Ramey-Craig & Landesman, 1999).…”

Investigating the Visual-Motor Integration Skills of 60-72 Month Children from High and Low Socio- Economic Status As Regard Age Factor

“…(Hoover-Dempsey, Bassler and Brissie, 1987, Lareau, 1987, Delgado-Gaitan, 1992, Ecless & Harold, 1993, Pena, 2000 In their research through which the relationship between the neuro-cognitive development of children enrolled in kindergarten and their socio-economic status are studied, Noble, Norman and Farah (2005) found out that socio-economic status and cognitive function have an impact on language, visual perception, visual spatial relations and memory. Ferguson, Jimerson and Dalton (2001) noted in their study that socio-economic status, education level of mother, educational values of family, social emotional functions in kindergarten and age are significant factors for children falling behind their peers and therefore these factors affects academic and behavioral skills. Martin, Sewel and Manni (1977) studied the effects of race and social class on development of visual motor integration in children enrolled in preschools and it is reported that children of white race and at high socio-economic status have more advanced visual motor development when compared to children of black race and at low socio-economic status.…”

The Effect of Grade Retention on Child Test Scores

“…Researchers find that repeating a grade is strongly correlated with the poor performance in mathematics and reading tests of repeaters (Holmes 1989;Ferguson, Jimerson and Dalton 2001;Jimerson et. al.…”