It is estimated that around 2.4 million students per year were retained in U.S. schools in the late 1990s. Are these children receiving the best educational services to suit their needs? Are there differences between low-achieving students who are not retained and those who are? Researchers and practitioners are asking these and other questions as the long-held assumptions regarding retention are increasingly challenged. This policy brief looks at some of the challenges around retention and presents a number of related policy considerations for addressing those challenges. (Contains 6 endnotes and 1 figure.) [This document was prepared by the Center for Child and Family Policy.]