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Presenters: Jessica Fournier, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT, NCC Christina Falgout, M.Ed., NCC

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Introduction In the U.S., 15% to 19% of students are retained each year. Grade retention is an educational practice. Retention is based on grade level. Repetition is solution to master material.

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What does the research reveal about adolescents who are retained?

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Dropping Out Research shows helpful for few, unhelpful to large majority. Benefits dissipate in years that follow. No study has shown long-term academic achievement gains by students who had been retained.

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Dropping Out Study after study conducted has shown that while many different variables like suspension rates, socioeconomic status and race may contribute to students dropping out of school, the one most frequently recognized is grade retention (Christle et al., 2007; Janosz, et al., 1997; Jimmerson & Ferguson, 2007; Jimerson et al., 2002; Suh & Suh, 2007; Suh, Suh, & Houston, 2007).

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Dropping Out Students dont just wake up one morning and say to themselves, Hey, I think Im going to go drop out of school today! Dropping out of school is a process that begins long before the actual act itself occurs. It is representative of years of struggling to be academically successful only to be met with failure. It is years of feeling left behind, being made fun of, feeling stupid.... (but Im getting ahead of myself)

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Dropping Out You might be thinking, Who cares? Its not my kid. Students who drop out of school: receive lower status ratings make lower wages lack education skills needed for gainful employment are unemployed if employed, are most likely underemployed represent a staggering loss of tax revenue to society more likely to become incarcerated once incarcerated, higher rate of recidivism

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We are all stakeholders in the problem of school dropouts!

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Why do we retain children? 1. Accountability 2. Maturity Differences 3. Learning and Behavior Differences

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Reasons for Retention 1. Accountability NCLB Promotion policies require minimum scores Louisiana LEAP requires B/AB Lack of minimum score = retention Learning disabilities is a factor Retention used to identify learning disabilities Some races more disconnected from academics

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Reasons for Retention 2. Maturity Differences Students are deemed immature by teachers, administrators and parents when they engage in behaviors not considered developmentally appropriate for their age group. Lack of consistent definition of immaturity May increase instead of decrease range of abilities Adolescent development varies Retention not consistent with adolescent development.

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Reasons for Retention 3. Learning and Behavior Differences Students learn and behave differently Learning and behavior disabilities can affect academics Lack of success assumes the problem is with the child vs. the instructional process Focus is on the learning or behavior difference Vs. alternative interventions Sometimes retention is used to punish behavior.

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How does retention affect how adolescents develop?

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Adolescent Development Eriksons Theory Identity vs. Role Confusion. High self-esteem is critical A positive identity develops when adolescents feel good about themselves. Negative identity develops when adolescents do not feel good about themselves. Retention affects self-esteem because high value is placed on performance in school. Parents and Peers also influence adolescent development

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Adolescent Development Parent Influence Parents influence school performance. Promoting independence causes students to do better in school and socially. High expectations increase achievement. Open communication = positive self-image = better performance in school. Parenting styles that control behavior of adolescents results in students who perform and behave better in school.

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Adolescent Development Parent Influence Parenting styles with too much freedom results in behavior problems and lack of success. Students from single parent families have more difficulties in school. This may relate to a lower SES class that alienates parents from the educational process. Parents may feel inadequate to assist their children with school which may also be reinforced by school cultures and norms that do not welcome parents.

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Adolescent Development Peer Influence Peer importance increases during adolescence. Adolescents will rebuff those who are different. Adolescents need to not stand out or appear different from the peer group. Rejected adolescents tend to act more aggressively. Accepted adolescents are involved in school and confident. Rejected adolescents isolate themselves and do not perform well.

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Adolescent Development Retention singles out students who are not academically successful from the class. Retained students are removed from their same age grade level peer group and are reassigned to classes with younger students. Different maturation rates cause students to look the years older that they are. Maladaptive behaviors are loss of confidence, negative attitude toward school, less school engagement to cope. Victimization results for standing out which reinforces low self-concept.

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Adolescent Development Retention affects self-esteem. Retained students are stigmatized and are teased and discriminated against by their peers. Study by Byrnes and Yamamoto. Retained students feel they are being punished, not helped. Study by Anderson, Jimerson and Whipple Grade retention rated highest stressful event

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Study 8 students who have experienced being retained recruited. High school students were chosen. Parents were included.

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Name (alias) RaceSexAgeIncomeHighest Grade BethWF17Middle10th DonnaAAF18Middle12th DonovanWM17Middle9th JamesAAM18Middle10th JenniferAAF18Low11th JerrodWM18Middle12th LisaWF17Middle10th SamWM17Middle11th Student Participants (Not their real names)

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Parent Participants (Not their real names) Name (alias) RaceSexAgeIncomeHighest Grade Beths PWM48Middle10 th /GED Donnas PAAF43LowHS Donovans PWF35MiddleBS James PAAF38LowGED Jennifers PAAF57Low9th Jerrods PWF47Middle9th Lisas PWF46Middle HS Sams PWF50Middle9th

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Data Collection Student interviews Parent interviews Data collection sheet

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Research Questions 1. Why were you retained in school? 2. How did you react? 3. How is your life different? 4. How did retention affect your friendships? 5. How did retention affect your family?

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Research Questions 6. What are negative experienced attributed to your retention? Positive? 7. Describe yourself. 8. How do you feel about your abilities? 9. How do you view your future? 10. Looking back, what did you need that you did not get?

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Analysis Qualitative analysis involves words whereby quantitative analysis involves numbers. The transcripts were analyzed by first using line by line coding. Codes were then compared to each other to develop categories. Categories were then compared to each other to develop themes. Themes were organized to answer the research questions.

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Why were you retained? Beth apathetic about school due to mothers illness in 7 th. Donna experienced an illness during 4 th. Donovan immature 3 rd ; LEAP 8 th. Jamess behavior was poor in 6 th and 7th Jennifer was distracted by her environment (low SES) and rejected by her mother in 7th Jerrods reading level was low in 3rd Lisa was apathetic toward school in 7 th and failed the LEAP test in 8th Sam was too immature in 1 st ; failed LEAP test in 4 th and 8th

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How did you react? Beth: It really sucked. Like it really did... Donna: I cried and cried and cried. Donovan: I found he was more withdrawn to himself. James: .. I was kinda mad about it... Jennifer: ... I broke down crying... Jerrod: It bothered him... Lisa: I cried. Sam: I threw it [report card] away. I told my momma I wasnt going [to summer school].

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How is your life different? Another year of school Beth: ... Knowing that I could be in 11 th grade right now, instead of 10 th, and be graduating next year. Donna: ... Id a been graduating with them and had school over with... Jennifer: I got put back from everybody else. Jerrod: I gotta do another year and a whole more year in high school. Sam: If I would never got held back. I would have been graduated by now.

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How is your life different? Feeling older than peers Beths p: ... she knows shes a year behind, because shes gonna be a year older... Donna: ... They ask me how old I am. I say 18, about to be 19, and they be like, you failed a grade and Im like, yeah. Donovans p: But when youre with someone whos your age, I guess it does come up what grade you are in, you know?

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How is your life different? Feeling older than peers (contd) James: Like the way I acted, like everybody felt like I was their age. They didnt think I was older than them. Jerrod: Im always the oldest one in the group... Lisa: [about repeating seventh grade] Odd. A whole bunch of younger kids. Sam: I was the oldest one there.

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How did retention affect your friendships? Left Behind Beth: I met this girl, Kayla, and we met on like the third day of school in fifth grade, and we were like best friends until I failed.... But whenever I went back to school, she was eighth grade, and I was in seventh grade, we quit, we quit talking, and shes not my friend anymore.... Its, it was rough. It really was. Like, I dont even talk to her at school now. Donna: Im still on the fourth grade side. Everybody else on the fifth and sixth grade side.

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How did retention affect your friendships? Left Behind Jennifer: Some of them forgot about me, and you know, its kinda sad, cause I was supposed to be graduating this year. Lisa: I lost all my friends. They all went on, cause its like fifth grade, sixth grade and seventh grade at middle school and, after that, everybody goes on.... Everybody goes on to junior high and left Lisa behind.... and I was, no more friends..

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How did retention affect your friendships? Left Behind Sam: I was mad, cause all my friends passed me up... Sams Parent: Cause all his friends were going to a higher, you know, grade and not him.

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How did retention affect your friendships? Positive Effect Donovans parent: The friendships hes got now are better. James: I really kept all my friends, because they was, like, proud of me because I was helping their little brothers and little sisters, like, pass their classwork and all that. James Parent: He had good friends, but, you know. As far as losing them, he eventually caught up with them.

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How did retention affect your family? Lack of parental support in school Beth, Beth Parent, Jennifer, Jennifer Parent, Lisa, Lisa Parent, Sam Supported by parent in school Donna, Donna Parent, Jerrod, Jerrod Parent, Sam Parent

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What are negative experiences attributed to your retention? Teased by peers Donna: Some of them would tease and be like, you know, saying the fifth graders and sixth graders going to a ceremony in the cafeteria. So, I mean, we have to, you know, its not for the fourth graders. And they would be like, um, ha, ha, ha, like you in the fourth grade, you cant come, you know, stuff like that. James Parent: ... the kids, they teased and stuff like that. He might a had bout two, three fights about it.... he was writing like threatening letters, you know, about him beating up the guys that kept picking on him and stuff like that, where I was called into school.

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What are negative experiences attributed to your retention? Teased by peers Jennifer: I felt real, real bad. To be honest, I did. And I was ashamed, you know... Jennifers Parent: They all teased her. Lisa: Like, they just kinda teased and picked fun.... [they would say] Like girl, you stupid, or something like that. Sam: He called me stupid.

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What are negative experiences attributed to your retention? Same thing all over again Beth: I mean, every year of school feels long enough. But then to have to go and do it again, and I hated that. Lisa: Um, it was easy cause I knew everything that was going on, and it was boring because we just got through class that you knew everything about and.... it was the same exact thing. Sam: It was all the same thing. I had the same teachers.

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What are positive experiences attributed to your retention? Improved school performance Mentors improved school school performance

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Describe yourself Positive descriptors Responsible for actions Resilient Gives up without trying Poor descriptions of self

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How do you feel about your abilities? Low self-esteem Beth: I try not to set my goals higher than I really know I can do. Beths Parent: She has a low self-esteem. Donna: I be so ashamed.... Everybody lookin like, you know, she back in the fourth grade, and I was ashamed, cause, like, Im a dummy or something. Donovans Parent: And I think him being held back in third grade kinda fostered the idea in his head that he cant do it like everybody else.

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How do you feel about your abilities? Low self-esteem Jennifer: ... my friends are saying, uh, you not gonna be no teacher. You know? You cant be no teacher. You know? Cause of the area where we live, you know, thats all we know is people working like at Wal-Mart and Burger King, McDonalds and things like that. You never know nobody that work at, you know, um, in the hospital, or you know, being a teacher or anything like that. Jennifers Parent: I think Jen feel bad about herself. Because she put that front that she so good and she so sad inside.

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How do you feel about your abilities? Low self-esteem Lisa: It kinda like degraded me, made me fell like I was stupid, like I didnt know anything. Lisas Parent: I feel like she puts herself down, that she doesnt think that she can do anything. You know, like, like, shes feels like shes stupid... Sam: I just cant figure out how to do most stuff. Sams Parent: He gets discouraged easily. He tries his best, but if he dont succeed, he gets mad.

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How do you view your future outlook? Few high school graduate role models (Beth, Beth p, Jennifer, Jennifer p) No thoughts of dropping out (Beth, Beth p, Donna, Donna P, Donovan, Jennifer, Jennifer p) Thoughts of dropping out (Donovan p, James, James p, Lisa, Sam, Sam p) Positive aspirations (Jerrod, Jerrod P) High school dropout (Sam, Sam P)

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What did you need and did not get? Needed help from the school Parents more involved in school Should have asked for help

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Implications for school counselors ASCA calls on school counselors to ID barriers to success in order to develop a plan to overcome them Individual and group counseling Best of Coping Program ASCA suggests comprehensive guidance curriculums School and Family Integration Model Mentoring Consultation Self-efficacy theory Collaboration