Presenters: Jessica Fournier, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT, NCC Christina Falgout, M.Ed., NCC
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- Slide 1
- Presenters: Jessica Fournier, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT, NCC Christina
Falgout, M.Ed., NCC
- Slide 2
- Introduction In the U.S., 15% to 19% of students are retained
each year. Grade retention is an educational practice. Retention is
based on grade level. Repetition is solution to master
material.
- Slide 3
- What does the research reveal about adolescents who are
retained?
- Slide 4
- Dropping Out Research shows helpful for few, unhelpful to large
majority. Benefits dissipate in years that follow. No study has
shown long-term academic achievement gains by students who had been
retained.
- Slide 5
- Dropping Out Study after study conducted has shown that while
many different variables like suspension rates, socioeconomic
status and race may contribute to students dropping out of school,
the one most frequently recognized is grade retention (Christle et
al., 2007; Janosz, et al., 1997; Jimmerson & Ferguson, 2007;
Jimerson et al., 2002; Suh & Suh, 2007; Suh, Suh, &
Houston, 2007).
- Slide 6
- Dropping Out Students dont just wake up one morning and say to
themselves, Hey, I think Im going to go drop out of school today!
Dropping out of school is a process that begins long before the
actual act itself occurs. It is representative of years of
struggling to be academically successful only to be met with
failure. It is years of feeling left behind, being made fun of,
feeling stupid.... (but Im getting ahead of myself)
- Slide 7
- Dropping Out You might be thinking, Who cares? Its not my kid.
Students who drop out of school: receive lower status ratings make
lower wages lack education skills needed for gainful employment are
unemployed if employed, are most likely underemployed represent a
staggering loss of tax revenue to society more likely to become
incarcerated once incarcerated, higher rate of recidivism
- Slide 8
- We are all stakeholders in the problem of school dropouts!
- Slide 9
- Why do we retain children? 1. Accountability 2. Maturity
Differences 3. Learning and Behavior Differences
- Slide 10
- Reasons for Retention 1. Accountability NCLB Promotion policies
require minimum scores Louisiana LEAP requires B/AB Lack of minimum
score = retention Learning disabilities is a factor Retention used
to identify learning disabilities Some races more disconnected from
academics
- Slide 11
- Reasons for Retention 2. Maturity Differences Students are
deemed immature by teachers, administrators and parents when they
engage in behaviors not considered developmentally appropriate for
their age group. Lack of consistent definition of immaturity May
increase instead of decrease range of abilities Adolescent
development varies Retention not consistent with adolescent
development.
- Slide 12
- Reasons for Retention 3. Learning and Behavior Differences
Students learn and behave differently Learning and behavior
disabilities can affect academics Lack of success assumes the
problem is with the child vs. the instructional process Focus is on
the learning or behavior difference Vs. alternative interventions
Sometimes retention is used to punish behavior.
- Slide 13
- How does retention affect how adolescents develop?
- Slide 14
- Adolescent Development Eriksons Theory Identity vs. Role
Confusion. High self-esteem is critical A positive identity
develops when adolescents feel good about themselves. Negative
identity develops when adolescents do not feel good about
themselves. Retention affects self-esteem because high value is
placed on performance in school. Parents and Peers also influence
adolescent development
- Slide 15
- Adolescent Development Parent Influence Parents influence
school performance. Promoting independence causes students to do
better in school and socially. High expectations increase
achievement. Open communication = positive self-image = better
performance in school. Parenting styles that control behavior of
adolescents results in students who perform and behave better in
school.
- Slide 16
- Adolescent Development Parent Influence Parenting styles with
too much freedom results in behavior problems and lack of success.
Students from single parent families have more difficulties in
school. This may relate to a lower SES class that alienates parents
from the educational process. Parents may feel inadequate to assist
their children with school which may also be reinforced by school
cultures and norms that do not welcome parents.
- Slide 17
- Adolescent Development Peer Influence Peer importance increases
during adolescence. Adolescents will rebuff those who are
different. Adolescents need to not stand out or appear different
from the peer group. Rejected adolescents tend to act more
aggressively. Accepted adolescents are involved in school and
confident. Rejected adolescents isolate themselves and do not
perform well.
- Slide 18
- Adolescent Development Retention singles out students who are
not academically successful from the class. Retained students are
removed from their same age grade level peer group and are
reassigned to classes with younger students. Different maturation
rates cause students to look the years older that they are.
Maladaptive behaviors are loss of confidence, negative attitude
toward school, less school engagement to cope. Victimization
results for standing out which reinforces low self-concept.
- Slide 19
- Adolescent Development Retention affects self-esteem. Retained
students are stigmatized and are teased and discriminated against
by their peers. Study by Byrnes and Yamamoto. Retained students
feel they are being punished, not helped. Study by Anderson,
Jimerson and Whipple Grade retention rated highest stressful
event
- Slide 20
- Study 8 students who have experienced being retained recruited.
High school students were chosen. Parents were included.
- Slide 21
- Name (alias) RaceSexAgeIncomeHighest Grade BethWF17Middle10th
DonnaAAF18Middle12th DonovanWM17Middle9th JamesAAM18Middle10th
JenniferAAF18Low11th JerrodWM18Middle12th LisaWF17Middle10th
SamWM17Middle11th Student Participants (Not their real names)
- Slide 22
- Parent Participants (Not their real names) Name (alias)
RaceSexAgeIncomeHighest Grade Beths PWM48Middle10 th /GED Donnas
PAAF43LowHS Donovans PWF35MiddleBS James PAAF38LowGED Jennifers
PAAF57Low9th Jerrods PWF47Middle9th Lisas PWF46Middle HS Sams
PWF50Middle9th
- Slide 23
- Data Collection Student interviews Parent interviews Data
collection sheet
- Slide 24
- Research Questions 1. Why were you retained in school? 2. How
did you react? 3. How is your life different? 4. How did retention
affect your friendships? 5. How did retention affect your
family?
- Slide 25
- Research Questions 6. What are negative experienced attributed
to your retention? Positive? 7. Describe yourself. 8. How do you
feel about your abilities? 9. How do you view your future? 10.
Looking back, what did you need that you did not get?
- Slide 26
- Analysis Qualitative analysis involves words whereby
quantitative analysis involves numbers. The transcripts were
analyzed by first using line by line coding. Codes were then
compared to each other to develop categories. Categories were then
compared to each other to develop themes. Themes were organized to
answer the research questions.
- Slide 27
- Why were you retained? Beth apathetic about school due to
mothers illness in 7 th. Donna experienced an illness during 4 th.
Donovan immature 3 rd ; LEAP 8 th. Jamess behavior was poor in 6 th
and 7th Jennifer was distracted by her environment (low SES) and
rejected by her mother in 7th Jerrods reading level was low in 3rd
Lisa was apathetic toward school in 7 th and failed the LEAP test
in 8th Sam was too immature in 1 st ; failed LEAP test in 4 th and
8th
- Slide 28
- How did you react? Beth: It really sucked. Like it really
did... Donna: I cried and cried and cried. Donovan: I found he was
more withdrawn to himself. James: .. I was kinda mad about it...
Jennifer: ... I broke down crying... Jerrod: It bothered him...
Lisa: I cried. Sam: I threw it [report card] away. I told my momma
I wasnt going [to summer school].
- Slide 29
- How is your life different? Another year of school Beth: ...
Knowing that I could be in 11 th grade right now, instead of 10 th,
and be graduating next year. Donna: ... Id a been graduating with
them and had school over with... Jennifer: I got put back from
everybody else. Jerrod: I gotta do another year and a whole more
year in high school. Sam: If I would never got held back. I would
have been graduated by now.
- Slide 30
- How is your life different? Feeling older than peers Beths p:
... she knows shes a year behind, because shes gonna be a year
older... Donna: ... They ask me how old I am. I say 18, about to be
19, and they be like, you failed a grade and Im like, yeah.
Donovans p: But when youre with someone whos your age, I guess it
does come up what grade you are in, you know?
- Slide 31
- How is your life different? Feeling older than peers (contd)
James: Like the way I acted, like everybody felt like I was their
age. They didnt think I was older than them. Jerrod: Im always the
oldest one in the group... Lisa: [about repeating seventh grade]
Odd. A whole bunch of younger kids. Sam: I was the oldest one
there.
- Slide 32
- How did retention affect your friendships? Left Behind Beth: I
met this girl, Kayla, and we met on like the third day of school in
fifth grade, and we were like best friends until I failed.... But
whenever I went back to school, she was eighth grade, and I was in
seventh grade, we quit, we quit talking, and shes not my friend
anymore.... Its, it was rough. It really was. Like, I dont even
talk to her at school now. Donna: Im still on the fourth grade
side. Everybody else on the fifth and sixth grade side.
- Slide 33
- How did retention affect your friendships? Left Behind
Jennifer: Some of them forgot about me, and you know, its kinda
sad, cause I was supposed to be graduating this year. Lisa: I lost
all my friends. They all went on, cause its like fifth grade, sixth
grade and seventh grade at middle school and, after that, everybody
goes on.... Everybody goes on to junior high and left Lisa
behind.... and I was, no more friends..
- Slide 34
- How did retention affect your friendships? Left Behind Sam: I
was mad, cause all my friends passed me up... Sams Parent: Cause
all his friends were going to a higher, you know, grade and not
him.
- Slide 35
- How did retention affect your friendships? Positive Effect
Donovans parent: The friendships hes got now are better. James: I
really kept all my friends, because they was, like, proud of me
because I was helping their little brothers and little sisters,
like, pass their classwork and all that. James Parent: He had good
friends, but, you know. As far as losing them, he eventually caught
up with them.
- Slide 36
- How did retention affect your family? Lack of parental support
in school Beth, Beth Parent, Jennifer, Jennifer Parent, Lisa, Lisa
Parent, Sam Supported by parent in school Donna, Donna Parent,
Jerrod, Jerrod Parent, Sam Parent
- Slide 37
- What are negative experiences attributed to your retention?
Teased by peers Donna: Some of them would tease and be like, you
know, saying the fifth graders and sixth graders going to a
ceremony in the cafeteria. So, I mean, we have to, you know, its
not for the fourth graders. And they would be like, um, ha, ha, ha,
like you in the fourth grade, you cant come, you know, stuff like
that. James Parent: ... the kids, they teased and stuff like that.
He might a had bout two, three fights about it.... he was writing
like threatening letters, you know, about him beating up the guys
that kept picking on him and stuff like that, where I was called
into school.
- Slide 38
- What are negative experiences attributed to your retention?
Teased by peers Jennifer: I felt real, real bad. To be honest, I
did. And I was ashamed, you know... Jennifers Parent: They all
teased her. Lisa: Like, they just kinda teased and picked fun....
[they would say] Like girl, you stupid, or something like that.
Sam: He called me stupid.
- Slide 39
- What are negative experiences attributed to your retention?
Same thing all over again Beth: I mean, every year of school feels
long enough. But then to have to go and do it again, and I hated
that. Lisa: Um, it was easy cause I knew everything that was going
on, and it was boring because we just got through class that you
knew everything about and.... it was the same exact thing. Sam: It
was all the same thing. I had the same teachers.
- Slide 40
- What are positive experiences attributed to your retention?
Improved school performance Mentors improved school school
performance
- Slide 41
- Describe yourself Positive descriptors Responsible for actions
Resilient Gives up without trying Poor descriptions of self
- Slide 42
- How do you feel about your abilities? Low self-esteem Beth: I
try not to set my goals higher than I really know I can do. Beths
Parent: She has a low self-esteem. Donna: I be so ashamed....
Everybody lookin like, you know, she back in the fourth grade, and
I was ashamed, cause, like, Im a dummy or something. Donovans
Parent: And I think him being held back in third grade kinda
fostered the idea in his head that he cant do it like everybody
else.
- Slide 43
- How do you feel about your abilities? Low self-esteem Jennifer:
... my friends are saying, uh, you not gonna be no teacher. You
know? You cant be no teacher. You know? Cause of the area where we
live, you know, thats all we know is people working like at
Wal-Mart and Burger King, McDonalds and things like that. You never
know nobody that work at, you know, um, in the hospital, or you
know, being a teacher or anything like that. Jennifers Parent: I
think Jen feel bad about herself. Because she put that front that
she so good and she so sad inside.
- Slide 44
- How do you feel about your abilities? Low self-esteem Lisa: It
kinda like degraded me, made me fell like I was stupid, like I
didnt know anything. Lisas Parent: I feel like she puts herself
down, that she doesnt think that she can do anything. You know,
like, like, shes feels like shes stupid... Sam: I just cant figure
out how to do most stuff. Sams Parent: He gets discouraged easily.
He tries his best, but if he dont succeed, he gets mad.
- Slide 45
- How do you view your future outlook? Few high school graduate
role models (Beth, Beth p, Jennifer, Jennifer p) No thoughts of
dropping out (Beth, Beth p, Donna, Donna P, Donovan, Jennifer,
Jennifer p) Thoughts of dropping out (Donovan p, James, James p,
Lisa, Sam, Sam p) Positive aspirations (Jerrod, Jerrod P) High
school dropout (Sam, Sam P)
- Slide 46
- What did you need and did not get? Needed help from the school
Parents more involved in school Should have asked for help
- Slide 47
- Implications for school counselors ASCA calls on school
counselors to ID barriers to success in order to develop a plan to
overcome them Individual and group counseling Best of Coping
Program ASCA suggests comprehensive guidance curriculums School and
Family Integration Model Mentoring Consultation Self-efficacy
theory Collaboration