Abstract
This 14-year prospective study investigated the effect of retention in Grades 1-5 on high school completion (diploma, GED, or drop out). Participants were 734 (52.7% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into the study when they were in first grade (mean age = 6.57). Propensity score weighting successfully equated the 256 retained students and the 478 students continuously promoted students on 65 covariates assessed in Grade 1. At the end of 14 years, 477 had earned a diploma, 21 had obtained a GED, 110 had dropped out, and 126 were missing school completion status. Using multinomial logistic regression with high school graduation as the reference outcome, retention led to a significant increase in the likelihood of dropping out of high school (odds ratio = 2.61), above students' propensity to be retained and additional covariates. The contrast between graduation and GED outcomes was not significant. A significant Retention X Ethnicity X Gender interaction was obtained: The negative effect of retention was strongest for African American and Hispanic girls. Even though grade retention in the elementary grades does not harm students in terms of their academic achievement or educational motivation at the transition to high school, retention increases the odds that a student will drop out of school before obtaining a high school iploma. (PsycINFO Database Record
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Educational Psychology |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Nov 9 2017 |
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Keywords
- Drop out
- Grade retention
- High school completion
- Propensity score analyses
- Prospective methodology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
Cite this
Effect of Early Grade Retention on School Completion : A Prospective Study. / Hughes, Jan N.; West, Stephen G.; Kim, Hanjoe; Bauer, Shelby S.
In: Journal of Educational Psychology, 09.11.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Early Grade Retention on School Completion
T2 - A Prospective Study
AU - Hughes, Jan N.
AU - West, Stephen G.
AU - Kim, Hanjoe
AU - Bauer, Shelby S.
PY - 2017/11/9
Y1 - 2017/11/9
N2 - This 14-year prospective study investigated the effect of retention in Grades 1-5 on high school completion (diploma, GED, or drop out). Participants were 734 (52.7% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into the study when they were in first grade (mean age = 6.57). Propensity score weighting successfully equated the 256 retained students and the 478 students continuously promoted students on 65 covariates assessed in Grade 1. At the end of 14 years, 477 had earned a diploma, 21 had obtained a GED, 110 had dropped out, and 126 were missing school completion status. Using multinomial logistic regression with high school graduation as the reference outcome, retention led to a significant increase in the likelihood of dropping out of high school (odds ratio = 2.61), above students' propensity to be retained and additional covariates. The contrast between graduation and GED outcomes was not significant. A significant Retention X Ethnicity X Gender interaction was obtained: The negative effect of retention was strongest for African American and Hispanic girls. Even though grade retention in the elementary grades does not harm students in terms of their academic achievement or educational motivation at the transition to high school, retention increases the odds that a student will drop out of school before obtaining a high school iploma. (PsycINFO Database Record
AB - This 14-year prospective study investigated the effect of retention in Grades 1-5 on high school completion (diploma, GED, or drop out). Participants were 734 (52.7% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into the study when they were in first grade (mean age = 6.57). Propensity score weighting successfully equated the 256 retained students and the 478 students continuously promoted students on 65 covariates assessed in Grade 1. At the end of 14 years, 477 had earned a diploma, 21 had obtained a GED, 110 had dropped out, and 126 were missing school completion status. Using multinomial logistic regression with high school graduation as the reference outcome, retention led to a significant increase in the likelihood of dropping out of high school (odds ratio = 2.61), above students' propensity to be retained and additional covariates. The contrast between graduation and GED outcomes was not significant. A significant Retention X Ethnicity X Gender interaction was obtained: The negative effect of retention was strongest for African American and Hispanic girls. Even though grade retention in the elementary grades does not harm students in terms of their academic achievement or educational motivation at the transition to high school, retention increases the odds that a student will drop out of school before obtaining a high school iploma. (PsycINFO Database Record
KW - Drop out
KW - Grade retention
KW - High school completion
KW - Propensity score analyses
KW - Prospective methodology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032983316&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85032983316&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/edu0000243
DO - 10.1037/edu0000243
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85032983316
JO - Journal of Educational Psychology
JF - Journal of Educational Psychology
SN - 0022-0663
ER -