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Grade repetition and boys’ risk of being repeated in early schooling in Queensland, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2020

Robyn Anderson Open the ORCID record for Robyn Anderson [Opens in a new window]  and
Carla Anderson
Robyn Anderson*
Affiliation:
James Cook University, Singapore
Carla Anderson
Affiliation:
James Cook University, Singapore
*
*Corresponding author. Email: robyn.anderson@jcu.edu.au
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Abstract

Despite the fact that many research studies (Canon & Lipscomb, 2011; Jimerson, 2001a, 2001b, 2004; Martin, 2011) have shown that grade repetition offers few benefits to students, it continues to be used as an early intervention practice to address students’ low levels of readiness for school or early school failure. The study contributes to the evidence-based research on grade repetition in Australian schools by drawing on, and analysing, the most recent data on grade repetition from Queensland’s state education department, the Department of Education and Training. Descriptive statistics and relative risk ratio, used to analyse the data, found that boys aged 5 years are overrepresented in grade repetition in the first year of schooling, ‘Prep’, in Queensland state schools. Possible reasons for the disproportionate overrepresentation of boys aged 5 years repeated in Prep are discussed, together with recommendations for future policy and practice.

Keywords

grade repetitionboysearly interventionearly childhood education
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , December 2020 , pp. 146 - 158
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Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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