In order to identify factors which indicate a student would benefit educationally from retention, and to provide information and recommendations to educators, parents, and others involved in the decision to retain a child, this paper addresses the issue of retention in four major areas: the historical basis of retention, negative and positive effects of retention, and decision making models and plans for retention. The introduction presents an exploration of the retention issue, a discussion of the organization and limitations of the review, and a glossary of relevant terms. An annotated bibliography is presented for each of the four areas considered; annotations in the first area are arranged chronologically and annotations in the remaining sections are alphabetical. A summary of the material reviewed and conclusions and recommendations based on the review are presented in the final section. A bibliography is also included. (MCF)