Exploring teachers' experiences with grade retention

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20292232

Grade retention is an ineffective intervention that has a direct correlation with unfavorable affect on students. Yet, it remains a common practice throughout public schools in the United States. Despite the use of retention, the academic performance and behavioral characteristics of students have not improved. In addition, the retention of students with diverse backgrounds has increase as teachers belief demonstrated their lack of knowledge of current research. This paper will explore elementary teachers experiences with grade retention. Two theoretical frameworks were used to help to support the study. They were Social and Cultural Capital Theories. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized in this study with six elementary teachers who taught grades kindergarten to third. Data collection was a sixty-minute interview, transcribed and in vivo coded. The findings of this paper concluded that grade retention is a preferred practice among elementary teachers. Despite the research stating grade retention is an ineffective practice and it has a negative impact on students, the data reveal that grade retention is acceptable among teachers. More is needed in the implementation of scientific research-based intervention and a change in current educational policy and practice.