Grade Retention in Schools of Latin America

Synonyms

Grade repetition; Overage; Retention; School delay; School failure

Definition

Grade retention is understood as the practice of making students repeat a grade when they do not achieve a minimum performance according to specific academic or psychosocial standards, as generally predetermined by a school system.

Grade retention is one of the earlier steps of school failure and an experience that will persist throughout the student’s trajectory. No matter, when a student repeats a grade, it jeopardizes opportunities to achieve quality learning.

Internationally, discussions shifted from characterizing grade retention as being part of an individual student’s trajectory and context, where the student and their family were responsible, to perceiving grade retention as systemic, where the student, the school, and society as a whole are co-responsible.

Introduction

Within schools, student heterogeneity comes from different abilities, motivations, and personal objectives, which can be...