Pennsylvania's Voluntary Student Retention Due to COVID-19 Learning Disruptions Pennsylvania recently passed Act 66 of 2021 which permits students enrolled in the 2020-21 school year to repeat their grade level or be retained, even they met grade promotion requirements. The timeline to make this decision is short, however, as families only have until Thursday, July 15th to elect to repeat a grade level for the upcoming school year. To help families who may be wrestling with a decision about retention, RFA discusses similar initiatives in other states and provides a short review of research findings about the possible pros and cons of grade retention in a new blog post which you can find here. Highlights from RFA's blog post review of research on retention: Positive outcomes of retention: With solid and high-dose interventions, retention can show short-term results in reading and math achievements, lead to students taking fewer remedial courses in high school, and reduce the likelihood of additional retention down the road. Negative outcomes of retention: Without solid and high-dose interventions, retention can lead to higher rates of student misbehavior in the short term, cause lower academic achievement, increase high school drop-out, and dramatically reduce college attendance. Retention is also costly- In 2012, retaining only 2.3% of K-12 students in the U.S. was calculated to cost $12 billion. And, retention could worsen educational inequities as students of color and students from low-income households were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Mixed outcomes of retention: Research on the social and emotional development following retention is mixed with some studies finding modest benefits for students' teacher- and peer-liking after retention but others finding retention lowers student self-esteem and is stressful for students. Age also seems to matter as research has shown retention is more harmful to older students. As parents, guardians, and students weigh possible retention, it may help to consider the following questions: Does the student want to review or revisit concepts from the 2020-21 school year? Does the student's school want to review or revisit concepts from the 2020-21 school year? Are there interventions or supplemental programming offered to the student or me if they repeat their 2020-21 grade level? Would the student access these interventions and supplemental programs if they do not repeat their 2020-21 grade level? Are mental health supports offered for students who repeat their 2020-21 grade level? Are there alternatives for reviewing material from last school year at the student's school? Has the school mentioned any impact on the school or the student's school experience if many families elect for retention? Does the school have sufficient teachers and resources to adequately serve all the students who choose retention? Has the school mentioned the possibility of the school experience being negatively affected or having educational opportunities reduced due to the accommodation of high numbers of retained students? Please share this resource with families who might benefit from this concise summary. Read the full blog post here. 2021 Research for Action | Website ‌ ‌ ‌ Research for Action | Land Title Building, 100 South Broad Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19110 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!