A Correlational Study of the Relationship of Student dropouts and Grade Retention in Alabama High Schools

g head: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF STUDENT DROPOUTS AND GRADE RETENTION IN ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOLS



A Correlational Study of the Relationship of Student dropouts and Grade Retention in Alabama High Schools

Mary E. LeBlanc
Troy University


A Proposal Presented to the Graduate Faculty of Troy University in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for EDU 6691
By
Mary E. LeBlanc









Chapter I
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Considering the importance of education in an increasingly technological society, dropping out of high school is associated with an array of harmful outcomes. Most youth that drop out of high school are not equipped for the modern work-place. Because of this, they ultimately pay less tax, adding costs to welfare programs, and are being disproportionately represented in crime and incarceration statistics. The annual financial cost of the dropout problem has been estimated to exceed $240 billion (Kirsch, et al., 1993). Grade retention is one of the most noted predictors of dropout status. Other common variables associated with dropping out are adjustment, socioeconomic status, achievement, gender, parental level of education, and parental involvement. Previous studies suggest that retained students are between 2 and 11 times more likely to drop out during high school (Jimerson, et al., 2005).

Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between grade retention and dropping out of high school. Research indicates that while grade retention does not typically increase student performance, it is widely practiced in schools throughout the country.

Significance of the Study

Although it was originally designed to be a solution, retention has become a significant problem. It was initially intended to be a solution to keep students from passing to the next grade without mastery of necessary skills. However, academic gains for retained students are often minimal and short-lived (Jimerson, 2005). In addition, although students who are retained in earlier grades are less likely to drop out than those retained later, students who are retained in middle and high school are more likely to drop out than their promoted peers (U.S. Department of Education, 2001).
Limitations of Study
This study will take place in Dothan, Alabama utilizing retention and dropout statistics from Dothan High School, Northview High School, and P.A.S.S. Academy.
Definition of Terms
P.A.S.S. Academy – The Dothan City School System alternative school. P.A.S.S. stands for “Providing Alternative Student Services” and serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Grade retention - Students are retained in their current grade for a variety of reasons. They include: (a) retaining a child because of immaturity, (b) the belief that an extra year of schooling will produce successful academic outcomes, (c) failure to meet criteria for promotion, and (d) nonattendance and frequent unexcused absences.
Social promotion - The practice of promoting a student from one grade level to the next on the basis of age rather than academic achievement.
Dropout – One who drops out of school, abandons an attempt, activity, or chosen path.
Hypothesis
The number of students who experience grade retention during middle and high school grades directly correlates to the number of students who drop out of school. Students who are held back through grade retention have a higher rate of dropping out of high school than those students who were socially promoted without subject mastery.

Chapter II
Review of Literature
Much of the literature available on the correlation of the relationship between student
dropouts and grade retention agree that more study of this subject is needed. Not all of the
effects of grade retention are apparent immediately, but the effects of retaining students can carry
heavy costs to them as well as society. The literature reviewed discusses the effects of retention,
students’ perspectives regarding grade retention, and outcomes due to grade retention.

Effects of Retention
Arguments for retaining a child include immaturity, the belief that an extra year of schooling will produce successful academic outcomes, and failure to meet the criteria for promotion. Those
who oppose retention contend that it is not beneficial to students' academic progress, the
financial cost and cost to student's self-esteem are too great, and it has a correlative relationship
with dropping out of school. Not all of the negative consequences of grade retention are
apparent immediately. Students who are retained are more likely to drop out of school, including
those who are over-age for their grade. Outcomes that face students who drop out of school also
deserve consideration. Dropouts experience lower paying jobs as a result of not completing high
school. The average annual income for dropouts is about one-third less than high school
graduates and dropouts comprise nearly half of the heads of households on welfare, and about
the same percentage of those in prison. Dropouts are more likely to experience unemployment,
incarceration, and extended periods of dependency on social services. In the long run, the effects
of retaining students can carry heavy costs to them as well as society (Jimerson, et al., 2005).
Few studies of early grade retention have looked at student outcomes beyond elementary school (Jimerson, 2001). Among the research examining outcomes during early adolescence, results demonstrate few achievement differences between groups of retained students and socially promoted students in seventh and eighth grades. There have been a few studies examining outcomes during high school which agree with my hypothesis.
Students’ Perspectives Regarding Grade Retention
Sandoval and Fitzgerald (1985) published one of the first studies of retained students' high school outcomes. This study reported data on students' perspectives regarding the helpfulness of grade retention, attitudes, and school performance. The study compared three groups: regularly retained students, students in a junior first program (transitional classroom, wherein kindergarten and first grade are completed in three years instead of two), and a control group of students. Results of this study suggest that there were no differences regarding student's perceptions of the helpfulness of retention between the regularly retained students and junior first retained students. Additional comparisons between all three groups suggested that the control group was less positive about the social benefits of grade retention compared to the other two groups' perspectives. The results of this study showed that the grade repeaters did worse than the other two groups. Another study completed by Hagborg, Masella, Palladino, and Shepardson in 1990 failed to replicate the results of this study related to students' attitudes regarding grade retention.
Inconclusive Outcomes of Grade Retention
Hagborg and colleagues (1991) stated, “To date, a comprehensive study of high school students with a previous grade retention has not been conducted” (p. 310). In their study, they provided a breakdown of high school students with histories of grade retention. This study identified 38 high school students who had been retained and selected a matched sample control group. The results demonstrated significant differences favoring the matched control group on: the end of eight grade Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) in both reading and mathematics, freshman year grade point average, and self-perceptions of academic competence and behavioral conduct and overall self-worth. There were no significant results in this study favoring the retained students.
A follow-up study completed by McCoy and Reynolds (1999) reported the results of grade retention through age 14 years old. Their study examined the effects of retention on academic achievement, perceived school competence, and delinquency. Results of this study demonstrated that grade retention was considerably associated with lower mathematics and reading achievement at age 14 years old, above and beyond a broad set of control variables. Results demonstrated no significant differences between retained students and others on either perceived school competence at age 12 or number of delinquency infractions at age 14. The authors concluded, “… these findings suggest that intervention approaches other than grade retention are needed to better promote school achievement and adjustment” (McCoy & Reynolds, 1999, p. 273).
Negative Outcomes Due to Grade Retention
Jimerson (1999) contributed information from analyses comparing outcomes of retained students, low-achieving but promoted students, and regularly promoted students through age 20 years old. The result of his prospective, longitudinal study showed that retained students had lower levels of academic adjustment at the end of eleventh grade, were more likely to drop out of high school by age 19, were less likely to receive a diploma by age 20, were less likely to be enrolled in a postsecondary education program, received lower education/employment status ratings, were paid less per hour, and received poorer employment competence ratings at age 20 in comparison to a similar group of low-achieving, promoted students. This study provided knowledge regarding outcomes during high school that were associated with early grade retention. A related study completed by Fine and Davis (2003) that utilized a large-scale national database concluded that when controlling for gender, socioeconomic status, race-ethnicity, and achievement, the students who experienced grade retention yet graduated from high school were significantly less likely to enroll in postsecondary studies.
The Baltimore Beginning School Study completed by Alexander et al. in 2003 students from first grade through high school. The results were: during high school, 67% of students retained between grades 1 and 7 dropped out of high school, while 24% of students never retained and 32% of students in a low-achieving promoted comparison group dropped out of school. Alexander and his colleagues concluded that, retention helps some children during elementary school; however, by middle school most are relegated to remedial courses. In addition, during high school those students who were retained during elementary school were at an elevated risk of dropping out without a degree.
Chapter III
Methodology
This quantitative correlational study will focus on the effect that grade retention has on the number of high school drop outs in Alabama schools. Two groups of students will be studied; a control group consisting of students who have not been grade retained and a group of students who have been grade retained. The sample groups will be similar in various qualities such as socioeconomic, age, grade levels, and classes taken.
Research Questions
1. Would adoption of age-appropriate and culturally sensitive instructional strategies such as: a). Remedial Reading & Math Classes; b). Early Intervention Programs; c). Mandatory Summer School; d). Intersession Programs; e). Saturday School; f). Differentiated Instructional Strategies; g). Expanding Class Size Reduction; h). One-on-One Tutoring; i). Before and After School Programs; j). Extended Learning Day; and k). Preparatory Academies help accelerate progress in all classrooms eliminating the need for grade retention?
2. Are we using effective behavior management and cognitive behavior modification strategies to reduce classroom behavior problems caused by grade retention, such as using student support teams to assess and identify specific learning or behavior problems, design interventions to address those problems, and evaluate the efficacy of those interventions?

3. Are we providing appropriate education services based on student standardized test scores and state standards, for children with educational disabilities, including collaboration between regular, remedial, and special education professionals?
Population
Students for the study will be chosen from Dothan High School, Northview High School, and P.A.S.S. Academy, all located in Dothan, Alabama. The actual sample size will be determined based on the number of students that have experienced grade retention. The control and sample groups will be similar in various qualities such as socioeconomic, age, grade levels, and classes taken.
Ethical Treatment of Population
The principals from each school, the students, and their parents must agree to take part in the study. The students and their parents must sign a permission form which details the study and describes how each student will participate in the study, as well as gives permission for use of the student’s school records. Participants may decide to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. All tests and questionnaire results will be kept confidential and will be used exclusively for this study.
Instrumentation
Student questionnaires will be used as well as student records, test scores, and student interviews. Questionnaires will be used to collect data on student thoughts about retention. Using a Likert scale, the student will rate their feelings from weakest to strongest on various aspects of retention and its effect on them. Test scores will be used to compare the level of subject mastery gained by retained students compared to the control group. After getting permission from the parents, student interviews will also be conducted to give students an opportunity to share their feelings and experiences they have had with teachers and other students as a result of grade retention and give them the opportunity to comment on what they feel they need to be successful in school.
Data Collection
A correlation coefficients analysis will be conducted using Pearson’s r in a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program.
Data Analysis
Descriptive analysis will be used to analyze the data in this study. The following variables will be included in SPSS: the number of times and the grades a student has been retained, the number of days students attended class, the number of discipline referrals a student has received, does the student have a positive attitude toward school, and the students’ grades. Pearson’s r will be implemented to determine if there is a significant difference of each variable. The researcher will focus on the correlation between retention, attendance, student attitude and students’ grades. Descriptive data will be investigated to aid in determining the findings in this study.
References
Alexander, K, Entwisle, D, & Dauber, S. (2003). On the success of failure: A reassessment of the effects of retention in the primary grades (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Fine, J. G., & Davis, J. M. (2003). Grade retention and enrollment in post-secondary education. Journal of School Psychology, 41, 401–411.
Hagborg, W. J., Masella, G., Palladino, P., & Shepardson, J. (1991). A follow-up study of high school students with a history of grade retention. Psychology in the Schools, 28, 310–317.
Irvin, L. K., Tobin, T. J., Sprague, J. R., Sugai, G., & Vincent, C. G. (2004). Validity of office discipline referral measures as indices of school- wide behavioral status and effects of schoolwide behavioral interventions. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 6, 131-147.
Jimerson, S. (1999). On the failure of failure: Examining the association of early grade retention and late adolescent education and employment outcomes. Journal of School Psychology, 37, 243–272.
Jimerson, S. (2001). Meta-analysis of grade retention research: Implications for practice in the 21st century. School Psychology Review, 30, 420–437.
Jimerson, S.R., et al. (2005). Beyond grade retention and social promotion: Promoting the social and cognitive competence of students. Psychology in the Schools, 43, 85-97.
Kirsch, I. S., Jungeblut, A., Jenkins, L., & Kolstad, A. (1993). Adult literacy in America: A first look at the findings of the national adult literacy survey. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from U.S. Department of Education Web site: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=93275
McCoy, A. R., & Reynolds, A. J. (1999). Grade retention and school performance: An extended investigation. Journal of School Psychology, 37, 273–298.
Radford, P. M., & Ervin, R. A. (2002). Employing descriptive functional assessment methods to assess low-rate, high intensity behaviors: A case example. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4, 146-155.
Sandoval, J., & Fitzgerald, P. (1985). A high school follow-up of children who were promoted or attended a junior first grade. Psychology in the Schools, 22, 164–170.
U.S. Department of Education (2001). Office of the Under Secretary and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. First annual school improvement report: Executive order on actions for turning around low-performing schools, Washington, DC: Author.
Walker, B., Cheney, D., Stage, S. A., & Blum, C. (2005). Schoolwide screening and Positive Behavior
Supports: Identifying and supporting students at risk for school failure. Journal of Positive
Behavior Interventions, 7, 194-204.