Beyond Grade Retention and Social Promotion:
Promoting the Social and Cognitive Competence of Students
Shane R. Jimerson, Ph.D., NCSP
University of California, Santa Barbara
Center for School Based Youth Development
Gevirtz Graduate School of Education
Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology
Child and Adolescent Development
<Jimerson@education.ucsb.edu>

The Issue:
Amidst an era of "standards and accountability," grade retention and social promotion emerge as salient topics among educational professionals. It is estimated that about 2.4 million children are retained each year costing over 14 billion dollars and a year of these children’s lives while converging evidence from research does not support the practice of grade retention.

Essential Elements of this Presentation:
1. A brief overview of the retention research from the past century, emphasizing the characteristics of retained students, studies examining the efficacy of the retention as an intervention strategy, long-term correlates, and the association between grade retention and high school dropout.
2. A review of empirically-supported alternatives to grade retention
including culturally sensitive, age-appropriate, comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies at the individual and school-wide levels.

Primary Objectives of this Presentation:
1. To emphasize the importance of research informing educational practice.
2. To generate awareness of the abundance of research data regarding the long-term outcomes of grade retention.
3. To present a variety of empirically-based prevention and intervention strategies as alternatives to grade retention.
4. To emphasize the importance of focusing on promoting social and cognitive competence of students at risk of academic failure.

Beyond Grade Retention and Social Promotion:
Promoting the Social and Cognitive Competence of Students
Shane R. Jimerson, Ph.D., NCSP
University of California, Santa Barbara
Center for School Based Youth Development
Gevirtz Graduate School of Education
Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology
Child and Adolescent Development
<Jimerson@education.ucsb.edu>An Outline

Introduction
-Era of Standards and Accountability
-Call for an end to social promotion (& grade retention)
-Emphasis on educational research
-Transactional-Ecological Developmental Model
Overview of Retention Research
-Characteristics of retained students
-Meta-analysis of efficacy of grade retention
-High school dropout and grade retention
-Longitudinal outcomes of retained students
-Students’ perspective regarding grade retention

Promoting Social and Cognitive Competence of Students
-Appropriate Assessment
-Classroom Level Strategies
-Direct Instruction
-Behavior Modification
-Mnemonic Techniques
-Reading Interventions
-Ongoing Formative Evaluation
-District Level Strategies
-Preschool Programs
-Summer School
-School-Based Mental Health Services
-Comprehensive Social & Cognitive Competence Programs
-Ongoing Formative Evaluation / Continuous Progress Monitoring

Discussion Regarding Challenges / Barriers, and Strategies to Overcome Them...
-Multiple Levels
-Highlight key points & take-home messages