Policy Research

Hold Back To Move Forward? Early Grade Retention And Student Misbehavior

Umut Özek

Summary

The article depicts the adverse effects on education that some students face as a result of a lack of retention. Although the lack of desire to emphasize education was seen more in males, it was also predominantly seen in minority populations. These results also include people from lower-income backgrounds. The discussion shifts to what initiatives in different states are aiding in the progression of student education. For example, Florida enacted a policy that works to further assist students in these situations who aren’t getting the help that they need from their schools during the school year.

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Policy Implications

The specific policy implications given in the article in regards to education reform focus on Florida’s legislation. The 2001 “Just Read, Florida! Initiative,” was enacted in an attempt to combat the negative effects of low student retention. The goals are to assist each child in reaching the reading requirements before the next school year starts. This initiative allows students to work on concepts that they couldn’t quite grasp during the school year and learn for an extended period outside of the school year. Perhaps new policy following this model will be enacted in Michigan in order to retain students for school years to come.