Research findings concerning the relationship of grade retention to the self-concepts and academic achievement of middle and junior high school students, and to school promotion standards are examined. The few studies conducted in this area of research seem to indicate that (1) failure to be promoted to a higher grade is related to children's self-concept, peer status, and personality development, (2) grade retention does not generally result in improved academic achievement (although some retained pupils become better students than some regularly promoted pupils), and (3) when matched on the basis of mental ability, students in schools with high promotion standards do not achieve better than students in schools with lower promotion standards. It is concluded that more and better research on the effects of grade retention is needed, that if non-promotion is to occur, the earlier it is done the better, and that since alternatives to non-promotion are not possible in all school districts, teachers and school administrators should give high priority to discovering innovative methods for reaching problem students. It is emphasized that rerouting low achieving or immature students through the same course one, two or three years in a row is not an answer. (Author/RH)