More Than 3 Million Students Have Repeated a Grade
Seven percent of U.S. kids between age 6 and 17 had repeated a grade.
In 2015–2016, 7% of U.S. kids between the ages of 6 and 17 — 3.4 million children total — had repeated one or more grades since starting kindergarten.
The likelihood that students are held back varies by location. Generally speaking, kids in the South are more likely than their mountain state peers to repeat a grade. In Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana — where the repeat rate is highest — 15% of students have been held back at least once.
Students who repeat a grade are more likely to perform poorly in school, drop out early and have worse social-emotional outcomes, according to research. A better option for struggling students, experts advise, is to offer them the support needed to catch up to their peers.
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