Ann Arbor Times

Policies that mandate holding elementary students back a grade to improve reading skills are common in the United States, though they often face opposition. A study by the University of Michigan suggests that the benefits to students arise from the support services provided after being flagged for retention, rather than from repeating the grade itself.

Researchers from U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy investigated a policy requiring third graders who scored below a certain threshold on reading exams to repeat the grade unless exempted. This type of policy affected over a third of public school third graders during 2023-24 and typically includes various exemptions. Proponents argue that repeating a grade can give children additional time to develop essential literacy skills before progressing to more challenging material.

The researchers analyzed administrative data from Michigan, comparing two groups of third graders: those scoring just below and just above the retention threshold. The study found that students flagged for retention showed improved reading scores in the following year, even if they were not held back. This improvement was attributed to interventions such as small-group instruction, before- or after-school programs, or summer school offered by schools.

"This is important for at least two reasons: First, it shows that these types of services can benefit children, and second, it shows retention itself may not be necessary to improve student achievement," said Brian Jacob, co-author of the study and professor at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy. "This last point is important because retention is extremely unpopular among parents, educators and many policymakers."

Michigan enacted a third-grade retention law in 2016 but repealed its retention component in 2023 while maintaining supportive services. The findings raise questions about test-based grade retention's effectiveness since it's unpopular among stakeholders and poses logistical challenges for schools.

While similar policies exist in many states, researchers caution their findings might not apply universally due to demographic or legal differences across states. They suggest future research should gather data on individual student services related to retention decisions.

The study was co-authored by Christina Weiland, professor at U-M; Jordan Berne; and Katharine Strunk from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.