| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to determine how kindergarten retention impacts a child’s Grade 3 STAAR Reading exam scores at the Meets Expectations level. Curriculum requirements continue to change and become more rigorous for students in public schools each year. The state of Texas does not require children to attend kindergarten, however, once the child is enrolled, they are subject to the compulsory attendance laws. The lack of requirement has led to several school districts in the state of Texas not including kindergarten in their district retention policies. This lack of policy leaves a child’s educational future in the hands of the teacher their assigned for the school year.
Students entering kindergarten are exposed to the state curriculum which includes basic reading skills. As more and more demands are placed on students, the achievement gap continues to grow between peers. With this in mind, it is crucial to determine what interventions breed the most success for students who are falling behind. There is a lack of research focused on kindergarten and the long term effects retention has on a child. The grade retention studies available focus more on Grade 1-12 and the impact the retention has on the child’s academic scores, behaviors, dropout rates, etc.
Through this quantitative study, I focus on determining the relationship of kindergarten retention and the performance on the Grade 3 STAAR Reading exam at the Meets Expectations level. Furthermore, I begin with data from the state of Texas on all Grade 3 students in the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school years who were retained in kindergarten. Next, a case study was conducted for students in one other Central City School District focusing on the Grade 3 students in the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school year who were retained in kindergarten, while also examining their peers that were not retained in kindergarten but were at the same reading level.
Data for this study were analyzed using a Pearson Chi Square by state and Other Central City School district, in addition to ethnicity, economic status, and English Learner status. Overall, the results indicated that students who were retained in kindergarten were the lowest performing group on the Grade 3 Reading STAAR exam at the Meets Expectations level. | en |
