Now a new Ohio study led by American University professor (and former Fordham intern ) Sarah Souders demonstrates that the benefits of retention requirements are even broader than previous research has suggested. It also points to an entirely different set of mechanisms through which these mandates boost student achievement, challenging narratives long embraced by both proponents and critics.
Repeating a grade and receiving additional interventions represent two possible mechanisms through which retention laws could boost student achievement. The new study points to yet a third possibility: The threat of retention is enough to produce significant gains. Since many more students face such a threat than ultimately end up getting retained, this means that many more students benefit from retention mandates than previously thought.