Corrigendum: Academic performance of children with sickle cell disease in the United States: a meta-analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.786065.].

"If my buddies use drugs, will I?" Peer effects on Substance Consumption Among Teenagers.

During adolescence, interactions with peers influence a teen's attitudes and behaviors. Adolescents seek for peer approval and acceptance, which may bring them to engage in health-risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking. In this study, we estimate the impact of peers on the drug use of Spanish students aged 14 to 18. We focus on the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, the most prevalent substances used at those ages. We estimate the effect of the average classmates' consumption-the measure of peers' use-on individual consumption. Since peers' use affects individual use and vice versa, we correct for this bias using instrumental variables. Results show that peers' consumption increases substantially the probability of using alcohol, while it does not significantly affect tobacco consumption. Our results are not sensitive to using different time spans of consumption. This study shows also novel evidence indicating that the higher the proportion of grade-retained students in the class, the stronger the peer effects, especially for alcohol. This suggests that future reforms of the grade retention policy should also consider the negative effects on non-academic outcomes, such as substance use.

Vulnerabilities and academic outcomes among students in Puerto Rico.

Violence and health inequalities impact the academic outcomes of students, especially among minority groups. This study examines the differences in grade retention and dropout intentions with respect to exposure to violence and to mental health (anxiety, depression, and trauma) among youth living in Puerto Rico. Data from 566 students of fifth to twelfth grade in Puerto Rico were collected as part of a school-based service program. A two-way ANOVA showed no significant differences in exposure to violence and mental health among students with and without a history of grade retention. However, students who reported dropout intentions showed higher exposure to violence and mental health issues. These results highlight the value of assessing mental health and contextual indicators in designing interventions to prevent adverse academic outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Academic Self-Concept Dramatically Declines in Secondary School: Personal and Contextual Determinants.

Academic self-concept is one of the most important non-cognitive variables in determining students' attitudes towards school and their performance. The objective of this study was to use a longitudinal approach to analyze how academic self-concept changed between primary and secondary schools and to analyze the factors that affected that progression. The sample consisted of 7379 students (47.4% girls) evaluated at two time-points: fourth grade and eighth grade. Six schooling pathways were analyzed: repeating a year before fourth grade, repeating between fourth and eighth grade, and repeating eighth grade. Five two-level hierarchical linear models of intrasubject means were assessed. The results indicate that academic self-concept falls dramatically between primary school and secondary school, varying according to background variables. Nevertheless, the most influential factor was the students' schooling pathway. This study reinforces the evidence that, at least in the Spanish context, educational policies need to address alternatives to repetition.

Grade Retention, Academic Performance and Motivational Variables in Compulsory Secondary Education: A Longitudinal Study / Repetición de Curso, Rendimiento Académico y Variables Motivacionales en Educación Secundaria Obligatoria: un Estudio Longitudinal

Background: Grade retention in compulsory secondary education is a commonly adopted action when students have academic achievement problems, but research has shown conflicting results. This study analyzes the relationship of school retention with academic performance, academic self-concept and goal orientation. Method: A longitudinal design was carried out, with a representative sample (N = 1326) of secondary school students from the Canary Islands (Spain), randomly selected and evaluated for 18 months in four different waves. Results: The results showed the negative effects of grade retention on academic performance and motivational variables. The capacity of previous performance, academic self-concept and goal orientation to predict the grade retention from six months before was also shown. Conclusions: These findings show the ineffectiveness of this strategy for the academic development of students, which should lead to educational authorities rethinking its use.(AU)

Antecedentes: La repetición de curso en educación secundaria obligatoria es una acción comúnmente adoptada cuando los estudiantes tienen problemas de rendimiento académico, pero las investigaciones han mostrado resultados contradictorios sobre la eficacia de esta medida. Este estudio analiza la relación de la repetición de curso con el rendimiento académico, el autoconcepto académico y la orientación a metas. Método: Se realizó un diseño longitudinal, con una muestra representativa (N = 1326) de estudiantes de secundaria de Canarias (España), seleccionados aleatoriamente y evaluados durante 18 meses en cuatro momentos temporales diferentes. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron los efectos negativos de la repetición de curso sobre el rendimiento académico y las variables motivacionales. También se demostró la buena capacidad del rendimiento previo, el autoconcepto académico y la orientación a metas para predecir la repetición de curso desde seis meses antes. Conclusiones: Estos hallazgos evidencian la ineficacia de esta estrategia para el desarrollo académico de los estudiantes, lo que debe llevar a un replanteamiento de su uso desde las administraciones educativas.(AU)

Academic Performance of Children With Sickle Cell Disease in the United States: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Students with sickle cell disease are at risk for poor academic performance due to the combined and/or interactive effects of environmental, psychosocial, and disease-specific factors. Poor academic performance has significant social and health consequences. Objective: To study academic achievement and attainment in children with sickle cell disease in the United States. Design: Medline, Embase, SCOPUS, CINAHL, ERIC, and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed articles. Studies of children (ages 5-18) diagnosed with sickle cell disease of any genotype reporting academic achievement (standardized tests of reading, math, and spelling) or attainment (grade retention or special education) outcomes were included. Outcomes were analyzed using a random effects model. Achievement scores were compared to within study controls or normative expectations. Prevalence of grade retention and special education services were compared to national (United States) estimates for Black students. Age at assessment and overall IQ were evaluated separately for association with reading and mathematics scores. Subgroup analyses of reading and math scores were analyzed by cerebral infarct status (no cerebrovascular accident, silent infarct, stroke). Results: There were 44 eligible studies. Students with sickle cell disease scored 0.70, 0.87, and 0.80 (p < 0.001) SD below normative expectations on measures of reading, mathematics, and spelling, respectively. Compared to unaffected sibling and/or healthy controls (k = 8, n = 508), reading and math scores were 0.40 (p = 0.017) and 0.36 (p = 0.033) SD below expectations. Grade retention was approximately 10 times higher in students with sickle cell disease than Black students nationally. Intellectual functioning explained 97.3 and 85.8% of the variance in reading and mathematics performance, respectively (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in reading (p = 0.034) and mathematics (p < 0.001) based on infarct status, with lower performance associated with presence of a silent infarct or stroke. Conclusion: Students with sickle cell disease demonstrate notable academic difficulties and are at high risk for grade retainment. Development of academic interventions and increased access to school support services are needed for this vulnerable population. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020179062.

Critical Events throughout the Educational Career: The Effect of Grade Retention and Repetition on School-Aged Children's Well-Being.

More than 20% of all school-aged children in Germany experience a grade retention and repetition during the educational career which is likely to affect their well-being as a central element of school success. This study aims at revealing the temporal dynamics of general and school well-being around the event of grade retention (i.e., the year when the decision to repeat a grade is taken) and the subsequent grade repetition (i.e., the repeated school year) during secondary school in Germany. Longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) is used on native students attending grades 5 through to 12 (N = 4581 from originally 273 schools). Distributed fixed-effects regressions by gender and school type have been conducted, using satisfaction with school and life as outcomes. Although retention decisions often trigger an immediate decrease in students' well-being, there arise still benefits from this event in the short-term, middle-term and long-term, though trajectories differ by gender and school type. Overall, it is necessary to promote students´ well-being throughout their educational career, particularly in those critical periods when they face grade retention. Results highlight that tailored programs for both genders and students in different school types should be provided to foster well-being during this phase.

Evidence of criterion validity for the causal attribution scale / Evidências de validade de critério para a escala de atribuições de causalidade / Evidencias de validez de criterio para la escala de atribuciones de causalidad

This paper reports the study of evidence of the validity of concurrent criterion to the Causal Attributions Assessment Scale for Basic Education (EAVAT-EF). The factors Causes for Success and Causes for Failure constitute the scale. Participated in this study 927 students (3rd to 9th grades, M age = 11.59, SD = 1.98), mostly girls (53.9%), being 147 retained students. The results indicated the predisposition of Elementary School students to indicate the factor Causes for Success. The girls and non-repeating students scored higher on both EAVAT-EF factors. The Middle School students and the retained students by the criterion of school grade had a higher average in the factor Causes for Failure. As a discussion, we point to teaching-learning particularities between education levels, the possible impacts on causal attributions due to the interaction between the variables gender and repetition, as well as the interference of the disapproved criteria in students' attributions.

Este artigo reporta o estudo de evidências de validade de critério concorrente da Escala de Avaliação das Atribuições de Causalidade para Alunos do Ensino Fundamental (EAVAT-EF), constituída pelos fatores Causas para o Sucesso e Causas para o Fracasso. Responderam à escala 927 alunos (do terceiro ao nono ano; Midade = 11,59; DP = 1,98), em maioria meninas (53,9%), sendo 147 repetentes. Os resultados indicaram a predisposição dos alunos do ensino fundamental I a indicar o fator Causas para o Sucesso. As médias das meninas e dos alunos não repetentes sobressaíram nos dois fatores da EAVAT-EF. Examinou-se que os alunos do ensino fundamental II e reprovados por ano escolar obtiveram pontuações mais elevadas no fator Causas para o Fracasso. São discutidas particularidades do ensino-aprendizagem entre os níveis de ensino, os possíveis impactos nas atribuições causais devido à interação entre as variáveis sexo e repetência, bem como a interferência dos critérios de reprovação nas crenças atribucionais.

Este artículo reporta el estudio de evidencias de validez de criterio concurrente de la Escala de Evaluación de las Atribuciones de Causalidad para Alumnos de la Educación Básica (EAVAT-EF) - factores Causas para el Éxito (CE) y Causas para el Fracaso (CF). Participaron 927 alumnos del primer y segundo ciclo de la enseñanza fundamental (3º al 9º año, Medad = 11,59, DP = 1,98) - mayoría niñas (53,9%), siendo 147 alumnos repitentes. Se identificó la predisposición del primer ciclo a indicar las CE. Las niñas y los alumnos sin historial de repetición se sobresalieron en la EAVAT-EF. Los alumnos del segundo ciclo y reprobados por año escolar, han sido mejores en las CF. Se discuten las particularidades de la enseñanza-aprendizaje entre los ciclos, los posibles impactos en las atribuciones causales debido a la interacción entre las variables sexo y repetencia, y la interferencia de los criterios de reprobación en las creencias atribucionales.

The Costly Consequences of not Being Socially and Behaviorally Ready to Learn by Kindergarten in Baltimore City.

Social, emotional, and behavioral skills are foundational to learning and long-term success. However, poverty and exposure to adverse childhood experiences reduce the chances of children entering kindergarten socially-behaviorally ready to learn. This study examined the unique impact of 5-year-old children (N = 11,412) entering kindergarten not socially-behaviorally ready on three costly school outcomes by fourth grade in Baltimore City Public Schools: being retained in grade, receiving services and supports through an IEP or 504 plan, and being suspended/expelled. Controlling for all other types of school readiness, students not identified as socially-behaviorally ready for kindergarten were more likely to experience all three school outcomes. Findings underscore the importance of early prevention and intervention strategies targeting parents and social-behavioral readiness skills during the first 5 years of life.

Effect of Early Grade Retention on School Completion: A Prospective Study.

This 14 year prospective study investigated the effect of retention in grades 1-5 on high school completion (diploma, GED, or drop out). Participants were 734 (52.7% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into the study when they were in first grade (mean age = 6.57). Propensity score weighting successfully equated the 256 retained students and the 478 students continuously promoted students on 65 covariates assessed in grade 1. At the end of 14 years, 477 had earned a diploma, 21 had obtained a GED, 110 had dropped out, and 126 were missing school completion status. Using multinomial logistic regression with high school graduation as the reference outcome, retention led to a significant increase in the likelihood of dropping out of high school (odds ratio = 2.61), above students' propensity to be retained and additional covariates. The contrast between graduation and GED outcomes was not significant. A significant Retention X Ethnicity X Gender interaction was obtained: The negative effect of retention was strongest for African American and Hispanic girls. Even though grade retention in the elementary grades does not harm students in terms of their academic achievement or educational motivation at the transition to high school, retention increases the odds that a student will drop out of school before obtaining a high school diploma.

Crenças de professores sobre reprovação escolar 1 / Beliefs of teachers about grade retention

Resumo: Este artigo analisa crenças de professores da educação básica sobre reprovação escolar. Para tanto, discute possíveis relações entre crenças sobre reprovação, crenças acerca de princípios de justiça e avaliação e o conhecimento de professores a respeito de resultados de pesquisas sobre efeitos da reprovação. Explicita características do perfil dos professores que podem influenciar sua adesão à reprovação. A relação entre as crenças e entre estas e o conhecimento de pesquisas foi analisada por meio de correlação e a identificação das características associadas à adesão à reprovação foi feita com análise de regressão. Foram usados dados primários de quase 5,5 mil professores que lecionam Língua Portuguesa. Conclui-se que professores que aderem à reprovação tendem a aderir ao princípio de justiça meritocrático e à avaliação normativa. Ter maior tempo de experiência docente, não lecionar nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, maior conhecimento de pesquisas sobre o tema e mestrado e doutorado caracterizam os professores que concordam menos com a reprovação.

Abstract: This article aims to analyze the beliefs of basic education teachers about grade retention. To that end, it discusses possible relations between beliefs about grade retention, beliefs about justice and evaluation principles, and teachers' knowledge about the findings of research on the effects of grade retention. We also present teacher profile characteristics that can influence teacher adhesion to grade retention. The relationship between the beliefs mentioned, and between them and knowledge of research, was analyzed by correlation and the identification of characteristics associated with retention was done by regression analysis. We used primary data concerning almost 5.5 thousand teachers that teach Portuguese Language. We found that teachers who adhere to retention tend to also adhere to a meritocratic principle of justice and to normative assessment. Having more experience in teaching, not teaching in initial years of basic education, a greater knowledge of research of the subject, and holding a Master's or a Ph. D. degree characterize the teachers who are less likely to agree with grade retention.

Effect of retention in elementary grades on dropping out of school early.

This study investigated the effect of grade retention in elementary school on dropping out of school by age 16. Participants were 538 (54% males) ethnically diverse, academically at-risk students recruited from Texas schools into a longitudinal study when they were in first grade (mean age=6.58). Propensity score weighting successfully equated the 171 retained students and the 367 continuously promoted students on 65 covariates assessed in grade 1. Fifty-one students dropped out of school by age 16 and 487 persisted. Retention (vs. promotion) led to an increased early dropout rate (odds ratio=1.68), even after controlling for 65 covariates associated with school achievement, retention, or both. Implications of findings for dropout prevention and grade retention policies are discussed.

Impacts of Early Childhood Education on Medium- and Long-Term Educational Outcomes.

Despite calls to expand early childhood education (ECE) in the United States, questions remain regarding its medium- and long-term impacts on educational outcomes. We use meta-analysis of 22 high-quality experimental and quasi-experimental studies conducted between 1960 and 2016 to find that on average, participation in ECE leads to statistically significant reductions in special education placement (d = 0.33 SD, 8.1 percentage points) and grade retention (d = 0.26 SD, 8.3 percentage points) and increases in high school graduation rates (d = 0.24 SD, 11.4 percentage points). These results support ECE's utility for reducing education-related expenditures and promoting child well-being.

Analyzing Complex Treatment Effects in Nonrandomized Observational Studies: The Case of Retention of Students in Grade.

Should low-achieving students be promoted to the next grade or be retained (held back) in the prior grade? This special section presents a discussion of the application of marginal structural models to the challenging problem of estimating the effect of promotion versus retention in grade on math scores in elementary school. Vandecandelaere, De Fraine, Van Damme, and Vansteelandt provide a didactic presentation of the marginal structural modeling approach, noting retention is a time-varying treatment because promoted low-achieving students may be retained in a subsequent grade. Steiner, Park, and Kim's commentary presents a detailed analysis of the treatment effects being estimated in same-age versus same-grade comparisons from the perspective of the potential outcomes model. Reshetnyak, Cham, and Kim's commentary clarifies the conditions under which same-age versus same-grade comparisons might be preferred; they also identify methods of further improving the estimation of retention effects. In their rejoinder, Vandecandelaere and Vansteelandt discuss tradeoffs in comparing the promoted and retained groups and highlight sensitivity analysis as a method of probing the robustness of treatment effect estimates. Our hope is that this combined didactic presentation and critical evaluation will encourage researchers to add marginal structural models to their methodological toolkits.

Rejoinder: Remaining Challenges in Investigating Grade-Retention Effectiveness.

This rejoinder, in response to the commentaries of Steiner, Park, and Kim (this issue) and Reshetnyak, Cham, and Hughes (this issue), discusses remaining challenges in grade retention research. First, a same-age comparison assumes that the instruments used in different grades measure ability equally well. We discuss the importance of evaluating the properties of the scaling process to address whether this assumption has been met. Second, we discuss issues in the selection of covariates to be included in the weights. Third, we discuss the unconfoundedness assumption and the problem of remaining imbalance. Finally, we provide an empirical illustration showing that studying grade-retention effectiveness comes with multiple methodological decisions that are rooted in a bias-variance trade-off.

Using Marginal Structural Modeling for Grade Retention Effects.

Vandecandelaere, Vansteelandt, De Fraine, and Van Damme (this issue) described marginal structural modeling (MSM) and used it to estimate the effects of a time-varying intervention, retention (holding back) in school grades, on students' math achievement. This commentary supplements Vandecandelaere et al. (this issue) and discusses several topics in retention studies and MSM. First, we discuss the importance of equating time-varying confounders in retention studies. Second, we discuss same-grade and same-age comparisons in retention studies. Third, we discuss one important section in the authors' overview of MSM: why standard methods (e.g., ANCOVA, propensity score analysis) cannot properly adjust for time-varying confounders. Finally, using the grade retention analyses in Vandecandelaere et al. (this issue) as an example, we provide our insights on four aspects of MSM: (a) covariate selection, (b) estimation of weights,

Time-Varying Treatments in Observational Studies: Marginal Structural Models of the Effects of Early Grade Retention on Math Achievement.

One of the main objectives of many empirical studies in the social and behavioral sciences is to assess the causal effect of a treatment or intervention on the occurrence of a certain event. The randomized controlled trial is generally considered the gold standard to evaluate such causal effects. However, for ethical or practical reasons, social scientists are often bound to the use of nonexperimental, observational designs. When the treatment and control group are different with regard to variables that are related to the outcome, this may induce the problem of confounding. A variety of statistical techniques, such as regression, matching, and subclassification, is now available and routinely used to adjust for confounding due to measured variables. However, these techniques are not appropriate for dealing with time-varying confounding, which arises in situations where the treatment or intervention can be received at multiple timepoints. In this article, we explain the use of marginal structural models and inverse probability weighting to control for time-varying confounding in observational studies. We illustrate the approach with an empirical example of grade retention effects on mathematics development throughout primary school.

The effects of early grade retention: Effect modification by prior achievement and age.

This study examines the effects of early grade retention and different effects according to prior achievement and age. Within a population of children at risk of early retention, we compared the development throughout primary school in mathematics achievement after kindergarten retention, first-grade retention, and continuous promotion. Analyzing data from a large-scale longitudinal study using covariate balancing propensity score weighting, the findings revealed that early grade repeaters would score higher in mathematics if they were promoted each year instead. However, the effects diminished or even disappeared in the long term. Compared to kindergarten retention, first-grade retention was found to be more harmful for the mathematics development of younger children specifically.

How The Timing of Grade Retention Affects Outcomes: Identification and Estimation of Time-Varying Treatment Effects.

In many countries, grade retention is viewed as a useful tool for helping students who fall behind in their achievement. We show how the effect of grade retention varies by abilities, by timing of retention and as time since retention elapses. While existing studies of grade retention also recognize the importance of studying variation by abilities and timing, the existing methods are not well-equipped to deal with the possibility that students retained at different grades differ in unobservable abilities (dynamic selection) and the effects of retention also vary by the student's abilities and the time at which the student is retained. We extend existing factor analytic methods for identifying treatment effects to control for dynamic selection in our time-varying treatment effect setting. This approach can be understood as a hybrid between a control function and a generalization of the fixed effects approach. Applying our method to nationally-representative, longitudinal data, we find evidence of dynamic selection into retention and that the treatment effect of retention varies considerably across grades and unobservable abilities of students. Our strategy can be applied more broadly to many time-varying or multiple treatment settings.

Schooling of hearing-impaired children and benefit of early diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of moderate-to-severe bilateral hearing loss on schooling and the factors influencing this impact, and to evaluate special schooling needs in addition to speech therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study including children with moderate-to-severe bilateral hearing loss, born between 1992 and 2006, diagnosed and managed in our institution. The age and degree of hearing loss in the better ear, the type of schooling and the level of schooling at the time of the last visit were recorded for each patient. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-five hearing-impaired children were included: 161 attended a regular school (58% of the 55 children with severe hearing loss and 76% of the 170 children with moderate hearing loss). The percentage of children with moderate hearing loss attending a regular school increased over time. This study did not demonstrate any difference in terms of grade retention according to the age at diagnosis for children with moderate hearing loss. No child with comorbidity affecting intellectual capacities attended a regular school. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that moderate-to-severe congenital bilateral hearing loss has an impact on the child's schooling, with grade retention that depends, but not exclusively, on the degree of hearing loss. A growing number of children with moderate bilateral hearing loss fitted with a hearing aid now attend a regular school.