THE CONSEQUENCES OF RETENTION

The Consequences of Retention

A Research Position Paper
Luz Castilla
California State University Dominguez Hills
Final Draft

THE CONSEQUENCES OF RETENTION

The Consequences of Retention

A Research Position Paper
In the four years I have been working as a T.A. for LAUSD I have come across many
types of students, each and everyone of them with a unique story. The moment I met Abraham I
knew he was unique. He was your typical troublemaker and was the type of kid that disliked
school. I never understood why he acted the way he did, until I found out that he was about to
turn sixteen and he was still in the eighth grade. Abraham is a great example of the negative
consequences that retention can have on a child. Retention is negative for those who are retained
because, students who are retained can have lower academic achievement and can suffer from
socio-emotional adjustment.
One of the most common consequences retention has on a child is causing it to have
lower academic achievement in school. Many children repeat a grade level and catch up to the
academic level they are suppose to be in with no problem. Even when some kids benefit from
retention, the probabilities for the struggling student to catch up to their classmates academically
are minimum. Students who repeat a grade level do become successful at the grade level they are
being retained, but it is only because they are learning everything a second time. The conflict
continues as the student moves up to the next grade level. In 2011, Cannons study showed that
many LAUSD students academic achievement lowered as they moved up to other grades.
Students repeating the second grade demonstrate sizable proficiency gains in their repeated
year, but their proficiency rates lag far behind those students who were never retained (Cannon,
2011, p.13). Cannon is showing that students who repeat a grade level will eventually be back at
a lower academic achievement. Abraham is a great example of this, as he dislikes school because
he is always academically behind than their peers. Even though Abraham was retained, he still

THE CONSEQUENCES OF RETENTION

reads at a fourth grade level which is extremely low for someone who is about to turn sixteen. In
every subject he seems to struggle, therefore his attention span is very minimum during lessons
because he does not understand what he is learning. Compared to his classmates he always
scores lower than the rest of his classmates, proving that retention is not the solution to help a
struggling student.
Though retention might help some struggling students, the emotional effects it causes on
a student can be more damaging. Students who are retained are most likely to suffer from socioemotional adjustment. Peer relationships, self-esteem, behavior, and attendance can be affected if
a student is retained (Aldridge, 2007). Abraham was already the oldest in his grade level when he
was retained in second grade, that made him almost two years older than the rest of the class.
Therefore, he is physically older than the rest of the boys in eighth grade which makes him
standout even more. Seeing Abraham interact with the rest of his classmates, I see that he feels
self-conscious of the fact that he is and he looks older than the rest of his peers. Though his
words might not say it, his actions show that he feels frustrated, embarrassed, angry, and sad over
the fact that he is about to turn sixteen and he is still in middle school. For example, Abraham is
the type of student who misses school at least twice a week. When he is not absent, he spends
most of his time at the deans office. It feels as he is just making up excuses just to stay out of the
classroom. Because Abraham would rather miss school than face the embarrassment of being too
old for middle school. Abraham is just one more victim of retention, therefore affecting his peer
relationships, self-esteem, behavior, and attendance.
Retention can have many negative consequences on child such as, lower academic
achievement and socio-emotional adjustment. Cases of retention such as that of Abraham, proves

THE CONSEQUENCES OF RETENTION

that retention is not the solution to help a struggling student. For Abraham it might be too late to
catch up, but he should serve as an example of the damages retention can have on a student.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF RETENTION

References
Aldridge, J., & Goldman, R. (2007). Excerpt from current issues and trends in education.
Boston, MA: Pearson Publishing Company.137-140.
Cannon, J. (2011). Early grade retention and student success. Public Policy Institute of
California. 1-15.