Marks, Achievement, and Intelligence of Seventh Graders Who were Retained (Nonpromoted) Once in Elementary School

IN THE DESIRE for higher academic standards, I attempts to raise standards are often made by ho mogeneous grouping and/or nonpromotion of those who do not attain certain levels of learning. This paper limits itself to the study of nonpromotion. It describes what kind of marks nonpromoted pupils are earning, how they score on achievement tests, and how they perform on a group test of intelligence several years after nonpromotion. This study is a descriptive one, but the ultimate question it attempts to answer is "Do children who spend seven years in elementary school do as well, in the long run, as those who finish it in six years?'