Do Small Fish Become Big Sharks? Grade Retention Effects on Well-Being and Socio-Emotional Outcomes

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Responsive Student Supports and Solutions for School Effectiveness (Table 5)

Abstract

Grade retention has lasting consequences for repeating students. Long-term achievement development of these students is empirically well analysed, with mostly neutral effects. Research on repeating students’ well-being is inconclusive. Given the growing importance of well-being as a school outcome, with long-term implications for general life satisfaction in later adulthood, our study examines grade retention effects on several dimensions of well-being as well as achievement-related socio-emotional outcomes. Our analyses were based on the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS, n=4,029). Using quasi-experimental methods, our findings indicate that grade retention has no effect on students’ well-being as well as their self-concept, motivation, and interest. Consequently, we conclude that grade retention is a costly, but ineffective measure that neither helps nor harms students.

Authors

• Paul Fabian, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

• Katja Scharenberg, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich