SOCIAL PROMOTION AND RETENTION:What are the solutions?

Speaker: Jessica Overweg

March 15, 2011

THE 3 W’S OF SOCIAL

PROMOTION AND RETENTION:

1. What is it?2. Why is it important?3. What are the

solutions

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WHAT IS SOCIAL PROMOTION AND RETENTION?

Social Promotion occurs when a student, regardless of their achievement, moves up from one class to the next.

Retention happens when a student has to repeat an educational course or grade.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_promotion- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_retention

CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING:

...Can anyone explain what the difference between social promotion and retention is?

WHAT’S BEING ARGUED

ABOUT SOCIAL PROMOTION

AND RETENTION?

Social Promotion: It sends students the message

that they can get by without working hard.

Students who struggled with a past grade and have moved on to the next will struggle even more – they’re being set up for failure.

If gives parents a false sense of their child’s progress.

Retention: It’s very common.

It’s very expensive. Its costs $13,000 per child per year.

Student’s progress regresses after 2-3 years.

It can cause behavior problems in students.

www.ericdigests.org/2001-3/policy.htmwww.nasponline.org/about_nasp/pospaper_gradretent.aspx

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FACTS

15% of all U.S. students get

held back each year.

30-50% of U.S. students are retained

at least ONCE before 9th

grade.

On their list of top anxieties, students have retention as #3. It follows behind blindness and a death of a parent.

Retention rates have increased by 40% over the past 20 years.

www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/promote.retain.htmwww.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at800.htm

Social PromotionAdvantageso Allows students to continue

with the rest of their peers.

Disadvantageso Shows students that they

can get by without working hard.

o Can set students up for failure.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

RetentionAdvantageso Shows students that they need to

work hard to earn their achievements.

o It allows students that are behind to get serious and ready for the next grade.

Disadvantageso It doesn’t solve the problem that

the student is struggling – they’re just repeating the same things they didn’t understand before.

o Physical and emotional problems can occur.

o Increases drop out rate.

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So…knowing the arguments, facts, and advantages vs. disadvantages,

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

Is it setting students up for

failure if they’re socially

promoted?

Should we retain students if it sets them

up to be more likely to drop out of school?

Shouldn’t we be helping

our students instead of

causing them such high

anxiety?

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHILD THAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL PROMOTION OR GRADE RETENTION:

Male (twice as more likely)

Minority Late Birthday Delayed

Development Attention

Problems Live in Poverty Single Parent

Household

Parent’s have low educational attainment

Parents that aren’t involved in child’s education

Kids who change schools frequently

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WHAT ABOUT PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY UNDERDEVELOPED STUDENTS?

-Physically and emotionally under-developed students are usually retained, put into special education programs/classes, or get help from a teacher that addresses their specific need.

www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at800.htm

Some educators hold students if they believe the child is too “young” or “immature” for their grade and will fit in better with the one below.

BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO SOME SOLUTIONS….

Does anyone have any questions????

What are some Solutions?

1. Intensify Learninga. Early Reading Programs – Make sure students are

reading at young age.

2. Provide Professional Development to Assure Skilled Teachers

a. Classrooms set up differently:i. Looping: Teacher is with students for more than a year.ii. Class-size reduction: Less student to teacher ratio.

Instead of having 20-25 kids in a class, it should be 13-17.

www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at800.htmwww.education.com/reference/article/alternative-social-promotion-retention/

3. Expand Learning Options

a. After School Programs

b. Summer School (Some schools are even

doing year round schools – to make sure

students don’t forget information retained.

c. Tutoring – One on One time tutoring is

proven to be highly effective for students

who need extra help.

4. Assess Students in a Manner to Assist

Teachers

a. Effective Instructional Strategies and

Assessments – Have checklists and tests readily

available to assess student’s performance.

5. Intervene in time to Arrest Poor

Performance.

a. Parental Involvement – Having parents

involved is key to a child’s education.

www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at800.htmwww.education.com/reference/article/alternative-social-promotion-retention/

SO…NOW THAT WE KNOW SOME ABOUT SOCIAL PROMOTION AND RETENTION, WE CAN TAKE OUR NEW KNOWLEDGE AND PUT IT INTO PRACTICE!

BOBBY GREEN

Bobby is a 2nd grader at Woodside Elementary. He loves going to school to see

all his friends and playing outside, he just doesn’t really enjoy the whole

“schoolwork” part of school. Bobby struggles with reading and math. He tries

so hard but he still can’t quite understand it. His mom works most nights so

he’s usually stuck at home with his elderly neighbor lady who can provide him

little to no help with his homework. He tries to do his homework by himself, but

ends up giving up because he just doesn’t get it.

Throughout 2nd grade, Bobby continues to struggle. His grades are continually

poor. It gets so bad that the school has to talk to his mother. They’ve decided

that if Bobby continues down the path he’s going, he might have to repeat 2nd

grade; while all his friends move on to 3rd grade.

Bobby’s mother feels horrible about this because she can’t be there to help

him. She’s not sure what to do. She knows that Bobby will be devastated if he

has to stay behind while his friends move on. What should the school and

Bobby’s mother decide?

Should Bobby be retained and repeat the 2nd grade? OR should he move on

with the rest of his class to 3rd grade and be socially promoted? What other

solutions would help Bobby?

Amanda Gold

o Amanda Gold is a 3rd grader who loves horses. She likes to learn everything she can about them. Her library at school has lots of books about horses. The only problem is that Amanda is dyslexic. She really struggles with reading and is quite far behind the rest of her classmates.

o She loves when her 8th grade buddy comes and reads with her. With help and practice, Amanda can overcome her struggle and read better.

o What are some solutions that could help Amanda with her dyslexia?

JUSTINE MICHAELS

Justine is a 5th grader at Parkside

Elementary.

She was born with Down Syndrome.

Right now, she’s able to work in a

regular classroom but is a little

behind the rest of her class.

Should Justine continue in a regular

classroom, switch to a special

education class, OR are there

different alternatives for her?

SO…WHAT CAN WE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS TODAY?

What is it? Why is it important? What are the solutions?

The 3 W’s

REFERENCE PAGE

Alternatives to social promotion and retention (n.d.). In Education.com.Retrieved March 6, 2011, from www.education.com/reference/article/alternative-social-promotion-retention/

Beyond social promotion and retention - Five strategies to help studentssucceed (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2011, from

www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at800.htm NASP position on retention (n.d.). In National Association of School

Psychologists. Retrieved March 6,2011, from www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/pospaper_gradretent.aspx

Retention and social promotion: Research and implication for policy. (2001, March). Eric Digests, 161.Retrieved March 6, 2011, from www.ericdigests.org/2001-3/policy.htm

Retention (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 6, 2011, fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/grade_retention

Social promotion (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 6, 2011, fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_promotion

To promote or retain? (n.d.). In Wright's Law. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/promote.retain.htm