Researcher Gabriel DellaVecchia speaks with The 74 about recommendations for elementary retention spurred by the pandemic
The injustices stirred by the pandemic prompted some policy experts to suggest retention would be a good option for students who fell behind; others argue it would cause additional trauma.
Five states passed legislation making it easier for parents to request their children repeat the grade they were in for the 2020-21 school year. While many policy makers argued that retention would be a good option for those students who struggled with remote and hybrid learning—and the numerous other disruptions caused by the pandemic—others claimed retention rarely helps students catch up.
“Kids have been through enough these last two years,” SOE postdoctoral researcher Gabriel DellaVecchia told The 74. “I think families recognize that, and don’t want their children to endure any additional trauma.”
Ultimately, few families opted for retention in the 2021-22 school year. However, now that school has returned to in-person learning, some are changing their minds as learning and social-emotional challenges show up in the classroom. DellaVecchia is among those who argue there are many routes aside from retention for supporting students. He recently contributed a chapter on third-grade reading laws and retention to a forthcoming book about education policy and literacy instruction. “This idea that you can’t learn later or get caught up is false,” he said.