A multi-year study of the impact of retention on elementary African American males' achievement in math and reading in one North Carolina school district

Drawing from systemic school reform theory of Smith & O'Day (1991) and their conceptual framework of accountability with specific focus on retention, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant difference between the multi-year achievement of retained and non-retained elementary African American males of low socioeconomic status. The relationship between the student independent variables of promotion verses non-promotion and the dependent variable of multi-year achievement by grade and subject area was examined while controlling for school size. This study focused on 147 third, fourth and fifth grade students in 57 schools in one large urban school system in North Carolina. End-of-grade scores in reading and math from the 2000-01 school year and End-of-grade scores after two additional grade levels in the same school system were used to calculate achievement gains. The study indicated that after two additional years in the same school district retained students had significantly higher achievement gains on combined achievement gains over promoted students. Promoted students had achievement gains but, the retained students had significantly higher achievement gains on reading and math over promoted students. Subject area made no difference. The findings also indicated this gain was true for third, fourth and fifth graders. Grade level made no difference. Finally, examining retained third, fourth and fifth grade students, retained third graders had significantly higher achievement gains over retained fourth and fifth graders.