Effects of Social Promotion

Social Promotion

There are concerns that schools are performing an injustice by passing students onto the next grade level although they fail the basic requirements for the current grade level. Underachieving middle school students are being promoted with little regard as to how it may impact their future success in education. It sets the precedence for some students who believe that they do not have to make any effort and they will still move to the next grade without suffering any consequences. This gives the message that accountability in middle schools is unimportant.

The purpose of this research study is to identify and evaluate the effects of social promotion amongst middle school students.

Rationale

Teachers have encountered many cases in which students should have been retained in the same grade as a result of poor attendance, limited ability, and lack of effort. However, school administrators have granted social promotion to those underachieving students for reasons including inappropriate age and lowering self-esteem. Therefore, this research is significant because it will substantiate the effects of social promotion on academic achievement and adolescent behaviors.

Procedures

Administrators, teachers, and parents of five middle schools in the South Bend Community School Corporation will utilize a survey instrument to identify the perceptions of social promotion. Approximately 50 middle school teachers, 25 administrators, and 50 parents of middle school students will participate in this research. The parents will be selected randomly and will receive surveys at their homes by mail. A self-addressed, stamped envelope will be included with each survey for parents to reply. Teachers and administrators will be selected randomly and will receive surveys through inter-school mail. Surveys will be distributed during the second semester of the 2002-2003 academic year. A comparison of the results will be conducted using the feedback from the three groups to identify the effects of social promotion.