ERIC Number: ED272267
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1985-Mar
Pages: 216
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Boulder Valley Kindergarten Study: Retention Practices and Retention Effects.
Shepard, Lorrie A.; Smith, Mary Lee
Having implemented a policy that allowed schools to retain children in kindergarten an extra year, the Boulder Valley Public School District in Colorado conducted a study to determine the cognitive and emotional benefits of retention in kindergarten and the characteristics that led to decisions about retention. The study involved a research review of existing literature, an examination of first grade outcomes, and interviews with parents and teachers to determine their perceptions about young children and their readiness for first grade. The study revealed that (1) the use of Gesell tests to make individual placement decisions cannot be defended on the basis of existing research; (2) the existing research does not show either academic or social-emotional benefit from retaining immature children; (3) the finding of no benefit on most measures and only a one-month gain in reading raises serious questions about the efficacy of an extra year in kindergarten; (4) data from parents did not indicate that there was an average benefit of retention or two-year kindergarten programs on children's academic progress; (5) diversity existed among the kindergarten teachers with respect to what they believed about child development and the best ways to educate young children; (6) beliefs about development were related to retention practices, and seemed to be shared within a school building; (7) kindergarten teachers believed retention and other two-year programs had benefits that outweighed their risks; and (8) teachers in the same school usually had very similar policies in terms of the kinds of pupil characteristics that should lead to kindergarten retention. It was concluded that two-year kindergarten programs are an ineffective solution to the problem of escalating expectations in kindergarten. Six pages of references are included. Appendixes contain a first-grade rating form for teachers, a parent interview schedule, coding categories for teacher interview analysis, and instructions for case reviews. (HOD)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Boulder Valley Public Schools, CO.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A