The Confluence of Two Policy Mandates: Core Reading Programs and Third‐Grade Retention in Florida

2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne McGill‐Franzen ◽  
Courtney Zmach ◽  
Katie Solic ◽  
Jacqueline Love Zeig
Keyword(s):  
Grade Retention ◽  
Reading Programs ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Policy Mandates ◽  
Core Reading Programs ◽  
Core Reading

The Vocabulary of Core Reading Programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 386-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Graves ◽  
Jeff Elmore ◽  
Jill Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Reading Programs ◽  
Core Reading Programs ◽  
Core Reading

Explicit Instruction in Core Reading Programs

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 406-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Ray Reutzel ◽  
Angela Child ◽  
Cindy D. Jones ◽  
Sarah K. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Explicit Instruction ◽  
Reading Programs ◽  
Core Reading Programs ◽  
Core Reading

The Uneven Implementation of Universal School Policies: Maternal Education and Florida's Mandatory Grade Retention Policy

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina LiCalsi ◽  
Umut Ozek ◽  
David Figlio
Keyword(s):  
Grade Retention ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
High School Degree ◽  
Retention Policy ◽  
Early Grade ◽  
Special Circumstances

Educational accountability policies are a popular tool to close the achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students. However, these policies may exacerbate inequality if families from advantaged backgrounds are better able to advocate for their children and thus circumvent policy. We investigate this possibility in the context of the early grade retention policy in Florida, which requires all students with reading skills below grade level to be retained in the third grade, yet grants exemptions under special circumstances. We find that Florida's third-grade retention policy is in fact enforced differentially depending on children's socioeconomic background, especially maternal education. Holding exemption eligibility constant, scoring right below the promotion cutoff results in an increase in the probability of retention that is 14 percent greater for children whose mothers have less than a high school degree compared with children whose mothers have a bachelor's degree or more. We also find that the discrepancies in retention rates are mainly driven by the fact that students with well-educated mothers are more likely to be promoted based on subjective exemptions, such as teacher portfolios.

The Effects of Universal Preschool on Grade Retention

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke C. Miller ◽  
Daphna Bassok
Keyword(s):  
Grade Retention ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Universal Preschool ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
National Leader ◽  
The Third ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Local Program ◽  
Instrumental Variables Approach

Nationwide, the percentage of four-year-olds enrolled in state-supported preschool programs has more than doubled since the early 2000s as states dramatically increased their investments in early childhood education. Florida's Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program (VPK), which began in 2005, has been a national leader with respect to preschool access. This paper provides the first evidence of the program's impacts. We measure the effect of VPK participation on the likelihood that children are retained at any point between kindergarten and third grade. Using an instrumental variables approach, we leverage local program expansion and detailed student-level data on eight cohorts of children, four of which were of preschool age in the years before VPK was implemented and four of which had access to VPK programs. The results indicate that VPK did not lead to changes in the likelihood that children complete the third grade without ever being retained. We do find, however, that VPK led to a change in the timing of retention. Specifically, the program led to a drop in the likelihood that children were retained during the kindergarten year, but this drop was counteracted by increases in retention in subsequent school years. Implications for policy are discussed.

A Cost–Benefit Analysis of Summer Reading Programs Implemented Under State Guidelines

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 594-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah K. Reed ◽  
Kevin M. Cook ◽  
Ariel M. Aloe
Keyword(s):  
Average Cost ◽  
Summer School ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Reading Programs ◽  
Summer Programs ◽  
Third Grade ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Summer Reading ◽  
Summer Reading Programs

This study investigated the costs of different summer reading programs and compared costs to the benefits of summer school as a way to avoid retaining students not reading proficiently at the end of third grade. Per pupil costs ranged from US$1,665 to US$2,194. The average cost was US$1,887 (range: US$266-US$5,552) with 82% of overall expenses attributable to personnel. Results indicate that offering summer reading programs could save schools across the state a total of between US$70.6 million and US$75.5 million in expenses related to providing an extra year of school had all eligible students been retained in third grade instead. This equates to about US$4 in benefit for every dollar invested in summer programs.

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