Grade retention and postsecondary education

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88/2000), this study investigated whether grade retention is associated with postsecondary education attendance and bachelor degree completion. Three questions are addressed in the present study: 1) Is grade retention associated with postsecondary education attendance and BA degree completion? 2) Is timing of retention associated with postsecondary education attendance and BA degree completion differently? and 3) Do students who were retained but persisted to graduate from high school differ in postsecondary education attendance and BA degree completion from continuously promoted students? Findings indicated that the experience of grade retention was significantly associated with lower rates of postsecondary education attendance and BA degree completion when sociodemographic factors, academic achievement, and school factors in eighth grade were taken into account. Both early and late retention were significantly associated with lower rates of postsecondary education attendance and BA degree completion. However, late retention (between fourth and eighth grades) was more strongly linked to lower rates of postsecondary education and BA degree completion than early retention (between first and third grades). Among participants who have a high school diploma, retained participants have a lower rate of BA degree completion than those who were never retained. However, there is no significant difference in postsecondary education attendance between retained and never retained participants.