Study Shows Benefits of Holding 3rd Graders Back, but Few Are Being Retained

Underperforming Indiana third graders who are held back show significant progress for the next five years, a research study has found.The study examined data from 2011-12 to 2016-17 and found that students who were retained in third grade scored about 18 points higher in English language arts and math in fourth grade than low-performing peers who were not retained. The gains continued through seventh grade, through at a slower rate.