Kindergarten teachers and staff perceptions of grade retention

Kindergarten Teachers\\\\\\\' and Staff Perceptions of Grade Retention Introduction Significant research shows that grade level retention in K-12 is a popular practice in American education system. Even though there is not exact data on the number of students retained in grades K-12, the perception of grade retention among teachers and school staffers is highly varied (Moore, 2017; Clotfelter, Hemelt & Ladd, 2016). The perceptions are mainly rounded on the effectiveness of the practice in enhancing learning among students. The Bronfenbrenner model is used to explain how the environment, the inherent qualities of a student, and the intersection between the two influences growth and develop intellect intellectually (PSYCHOLOGY NOTES HQ, 2013). This paper discusses the perception of kindergarten teachers and staff members on grade retention. Intervention is important According to Kourea, Lo & Owens (2016), the majority of teachers and staffers consider interventions as a vital part for success for at-risk students. The primary role for grade retention is ensuring students academic success. The perception of kindergarten teachers and staffers is that success interventions are a wide variety of practices that are designed with the objective of helping students who are at risk (Moore, 2017). The various practices can be categorized into either academic or behavioral. As per research findings by Moore (2017) and Clotfelter et al. (2016), the majority of staffers and teachers consider grade retention to be a form of behavioral intervention. Grade retention therefore works by allowing students the extra time that would be needed for the development of behavioral skills that are needed for success in the class. Grade retention and success Teachers’ perception on whether grate retention is beneficial for kindergarten students is important as it determines whether they will agree to the practice. Research shows that, the majority of teachers agree that grade retention is successful in realizing the required objective, however, the right and relevant resources should be available for retention to be successful, especially among kindergarten students (Moore, 2017; Herman & Reinke, 2017). Grade retention for kindergarten students is important for development maturity, emotional maturity, or for passing a test. The success of a grade retention initiative can be determined if the students under retention are able to develop to the maturity level considered to be appropriate for their age or attaining the marks required for a pass. Kourea et al. (2016) argues that the main reason why grade retention is practiced is as a result of poor curriculum and limited resources. Factors affecting grade retention Parents Considering grade attention should not be done in isolation, various enabling factors are important, and they go hand-in-hand with grade retention. The first and most important is the parent. The majority of kindergarten teachers and staffers identify the parent as being the single most important person in determining the success of grade retention (Moore, 2017; Herman & Reinke, 2017; Clotfelter et al., 2016). The parent influences grade retention through; parent supports, communication, and parent demographics. Moreover, the parent is best placed to determine the success of grade retention in terms of emotional and developmental maturity. Parental support is important in creating the positive foundation that is essential for the success of grade retention as an intervention. Resources For a kindergarten to practice grade retention successfully, the various essential resources should be available. According to Kourea et al. (2016), for students who are in schools where resources are limited and constrained, grade retention will be a useful intervention for the primary objective of creating the additional time required for interaction with the resource. Such resources might be a computer, or even the teacher. In such a case, grade retention provides the additional time required for a more one-on-one and non-interrupted interactions with the computer, or for a one-on-one interaction with the teacher. Conclusion Kindergarten teachers and staffers hold that grade retention is an important intervention for at-risk students. The majority of teachers agree that grade retention is successful in realizing the required objective, which might be development or/and emotional immaturity, or failure in a test. For grade intervention to be successful, support by the parent and availability of the relevant resources are essential factors.