Middle School Grade Retention

Keep reading to explore our research on middle school retention policies.

Student retention processes

Not only does retention negatively impact students, research also demonstrates that school, family, and individual factors correlate with the likelihood of retention. For example, administrators are more likely to retain students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and single-parent households.

District C, District D, and District E established a formal retention policy published in the online district handbook. Although administrators at District C and District E rarely retain students, contacts at both districts cite the importance of a formal retention policy to clearly communicate grade promotion expectations to students, teachers, and parents. Contacts at District A and District F note that they do not hold a formal retention policy due to the ineffectiveness of retention on student outcomes.

Reducing retention rates

Due to the ineffectiveness of retention on student outcomes, districts should minimize retention rates. However, social promotion is not an educationally sound alternative. Districts must ensure that teachers do not promote students who have not mastered grade-specific standards. All profiled districts, regardless of formal retention policy, offer multiple interventions for academically at-risk students, so that administrators rarely retain students. An effective alternative to retention and social promotion is closely monitoring student progress, proactively identifying students who might be at risk for retention, and providing interventions both inside and outside of the school day to support these students.

Administrators at both District C and District F standardized late work policies to limit any discrepancies that might lead to inequitable retention practices. For example, administrators at District F do not allow teachers to assign zeros or take any points off for late assignments. Administrators first established a “no zero” policy after noticing that many students were failing classes simply because they did not submit completed homework. Although District C does not hold a formal “no zero” policy, administrators began encouraging teachers to avoid assigning zeros for late work three years ago and today, teachers rarely do.

Strategies to minimize inequitable grading practices

Encourage against assigning zeroes

Eliminate grade reduction practices that do not involve student learning (e.g., taking points off if a student did not write their name on their paper or used spiral notebook paper instead of loose leaf)

 

Standardize late work policy

Standardize the breakdown of a course grade into assessments and homework

 

Stakeholder engagement

Administrators at profiled districts use multiple channels to communicate retention policies to parents, students, and teachers, to ensure that all stakeholders understand grade promotion expectations. Contacts at District B and District C recommend asking school principals to communicate and lead discussions on the district’s retention policy.

Channels to communicate retention policy to stakeholders at profiled districts

Parents and students

• Online district handbook
• Regular newsletters
• Parent-teacher conferences
• Student-teacher conversations

Teachers

• Principal-teacher conversations
• Professional development

In a RAND Corporation study of promotion and retention policies, administrators at profiled districts created a one-page, family-friendly brochure describing promotion expectations and included a list of answers to frequently asked questions; provided an explanation of promotion and retention policies in the first report card home; and trained staff members to explain the policy in phone calls with parents. Many administrators emphasized the importance of early communication and notification to stakeholders to garner credibility and support for the policy.