Adjustment Correlates of Retention in Grade

One hundred seventy-nine first through fourth graders who had been retained were compared to 179 demographically-matched nonretained children on measures of school adjustment problems and competencies, and background identifying information. Retained compared to nonretained children were found to have more serious school adjustment problems and fewer competencies, and to have more risk and fewer resource indicators on background identifying variables. Within the retained sample, poorly-adjusted children had more risk and fewer resource indicators than well-adjusted children. Retention in grade appears not to help psychosocially immature children and may, in fact, be detrimental to children already at risk.