by PRP Group, on 12/12/2022
The pandemic created an environment where strong readers continued to grow and those who struggled fell further behind.
Retaining students based on reading proficiency doesn’t work, but year after year districts and schools across the U.S. do it. Now, with the latest release of National Center for Education Statistics data, more students are about to be punished simply because they haven’t had appropriate reading instruction.
The problem with retention
The majority of states have laws that require or allow schools to hold back students who do not pass state standardized tests. Educators who engage in this practice believe they are doing what’s best for students, but historically it ends up doing more harm than good. Research shows that while students might make gains by repeating third grade, learning gaps appear again once they move on to fourth grade.