Teacher and Administrator Beliefs about Grade Retention in Northeast Tennessee School Districts

• Main Author: Feathers, Christopher A.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2020
• Subjects: Grade Retention; Social Promotion; No Child Left Behind; Every Student Succeeds Act; Adequate Yearly Progress; Educational Leadership
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3704; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5175&context=etd

The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers and administrators hold differing beliefs about grade retention. School districts in Northeast Tennessee participated in this study. Participants in eight school districts took an online survey designed to collect data on beliefs about grade retention. The survey consisted of two sections. Section A inquired about beliefs about grade retention. Section B collected demographic information and also included an openended response question. Respondents were also asked to choose a factor that has the strongest influence on their belief. Responses from 205 surveys were analyzed and informed the results of this study. A quantitative study was conducted to determine if significant differences about grade retention existed between teachers and principals. Overall belief scores were measured to determine if teachers and administrators favor grade retention as an effective intervention strategy. Independent variables in this study included: type of system, grade level, years of experience, and type of degree. Factors that had the strongest influence on beliefs about grade retention included: other people’s opinions, principal’s opinion, research, experience with a retained student, or other. Respondents choosing other were asked to explain their answer. 3 Findings from the study indicated that there is not a significant difference in beliefs about grade retention between teachers and administrators in a city school system versus a county school system. Additional analysis did not show significant differences in beliefs about grade retention between teachers in grades kindergarten through fourth grade (K-4) versus teachers in grades fifth through eighth (5-8). A teacher’s or administrator’s number of years of experience did not indicate significant differences in beliefs about grade retention. The type of degree held by teachers and administrators did reveal a significant difference in beliefs about grade retention between the two degree types (graduate or bachelor’s). Results from this test indicated that teachers with a graduate degree significantly favor retention over teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, an overall belief score for all respondents was calculated for significance. Overall belief scores showed that, in spite of the research showing retention as a negative practice, both teachers and principals are significantly in favor of grade retention as an effective intervention strategy.