This applied dissertation was designed to investigate student retention and promotion decisions in an urban elementary school. The effects of promotion decisions on student retention in the target urban elementary school were examined. Analysis of the data revealed that students who are retained experience personal shame and depression, they are much more likely to drop out later on as they do not achieve better on standardized tests years after the retention.

When promotion decisions are made this school identifies why the child is not achieving, whether additional assessment is needed and what interventions and alternatives to retention should be considered. Parents of all children experiencing academic failure are contacted as soon as possible. The school provides parents with suggestions and materials to work with the child at home in areas of academic weakness. The school also considers heterogeneous and cross-grade grouping of students.