Bryan, J., & Henry, L. (2008). Strengths-based partnerships: A school-family-community partnership approach to empowering students. Professional School Counseling, 12(2), 149-156. doi: 10.5330/PSC.n.2010-12.149

Bryan, J., & Henry, L. (2012). A model for building school-family-community partnerships: Principles and process. Journal of Counseling and Development, 90(4), 408-420. doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2012.00052.x

Collerton, S. (2011). Repeating fails to help struggling students: Report. Retrieved from

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-12/repeating-fails-to-help-struggling-students/3553296

Harrison, D., & Collins, S. J. (2011). Repeating grades 'fails' students. Retrieved from

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/repeating-grades-fails-students-20110714-1hg3b.html

Jimerson, S. R., & Ferguson, P. (2007). A longitudinal study of grade retention: Academic and behavioral outcomes of retained students through adolescence. School Psychology Quarterly, 22(3), 314-339. doi:10.1037/1045-3830.22.3.314

Martin, A. J. (2011). Holding back and holding behind: Grade retention and students’ non-academic and academic outcomes. British Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 739–763. doi:10.1080/01411926.2010.490874 

Mcneilage, A. (2014). Repeating school has no social or academic benefit. Retrieved from

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/repeating-school-has-no-social-or-academic-benefit-20140711-zt4dk.html

Range, B. G., Pijanowski, J., Holt, C. R., & Young, S. (2012). The perceptions of primary grade teachers and elementary principals about the effectiveness of grade-level retention. The Professional Educator, 36, 1-16. Retrieved from http://crawl.prod.proquest.com.s3.amazonaws.com/fpcache/79786485c12bec6e2d9820b31a8f12e7.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJF7V7KNV2KKY2NUQ&Expires=1477225390&Signature=rBUQXMa69o4J%2FGXuLurkrdwG%2FZM%3D

Stearns, E., Moller, S., Blau, J., & Potochnick, S. (2007). Staying back and dropping out: The relationship between grade retention and school dropout. Sociology of Education, 80(3), 210-240. doi:10.1177/003804070708000302

By implementing these interventions prior to or during the repeated year, the negative effects of grade retention, such as poor academic achievement, loss of motivation, lowered confidence, decrease attendance, and higher rates of behavioural issues,  may be prevented or reduced. Partnering with this organisation would take a step towards taking a proactive approach before the onset of these negative effects, rather than a reactive approach after onset (Martin, 2011). Additionally, through early implementation of school based programs and early engagement in additional social programs, such as the school readiness program or social skills group, the student may be able to improve their academic abilities, and their social, behavioural and emotional skills to a degree that allows them to take the social promotion approach rather than the grade retention approach, which has been shown to have greater success and fewer negative effects than grade retention (Jimerson & Ferguson, 2007; Martin, 2011; Stearns et al., 2007).

The Kids At Max team is made up of a number of professionals who specialise in working with children including psychologists, teachers, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists. The organisation therefore has a wide range of expertise when working with children, their families, and their schools, and can provide a wide range of support, strategies, and resources depending on the needs of the student.

Unfortunately as with most specialist services, the cost of these programs can be extensive, however some programs may be eligible for funding. A full list of program costs can be found on the Department of Social Services website. 

Ultimately, Kids At Max provides a range of programs and resources that provide support for a range of needs, from individual child and family needs, to the needs of the whole school community. Kids At Max provide programs that specifically work with students to improve their school experience and help them achieve their full potential, while also providing support and strategies for teachers who are working with children who require individual support. Kids At Max is therefore an organisation that could address the needs of individuals involved in the grade retention process, and is therefore a suitable option for partnering with to alleviate and prevent the issues related to grade retention. 

(Collerton, 2011)

‘School-family-community partnerships are collaborative initiatives and relationships…[through which]...partners collaborate in planning, coordinating, and implementing programs and activities at home, at school, and in the community that build strengths and resilience in children to enhance their academic, personal, social, and college-career outcomes’ (Bryan & Henry, 2012, p. 408-409).  

When schools, teachers, and families build strengths-based partnerships with organisations in the community, they are able to implement programs that can support and empower students that the school or teachers could not provide alone (Bryan & Henry, 2008). Creating strength-based partnerships is an effective way to alleviate school-based issues as these partnerships utilise the assets of community organisations in conjunction with the assets of the school, students, and their families, to target specific issues, and help build an environment in which students can achieve academic success by being empowered and having a sense of purpose (Bryan & Henry, 2008).

As highlighted by grade retention research, there is a need for additional support for grade repeating students which focuses on increasing academic success, and promoting positive attitudes about school, achievement, and attendance, while fostering resilience, confidence, and self-worth, and decreasing behavioural issues. By forming partnerships with community based stakeholders, each of these specific needs can be met by the unique expertise and resources they can provide. These partnerships will also strengthen relationships between students, their families, their teachers, and the school, as each stakeholder is able to contribute to developing and working towards a shared goal, and can offer their specific assets and expertise to create a plan of action that addresses the complex issue at hand (Bosma et al., 2010).

When creating partnerships with community organisations it is important to identify stakeholders that can best address the issue and can provide suitable strategies and solutions that will support the needs of those involved. In the case of grade retention issues, one such organisation that can help support students and teachers is Kids At Max.

Jump to the 'Kids At Max' tab for information about the organisation.

Grade retention has been shown to have some positive outcomes for students, particularly in the early years immediately following retention. Students have been shown to have short term improved academic achievement as a result of grade retention, however evidence also shows that these positive outcomes are followed by a decrease in progress, reduced academic achievement, increased negative attitudes towards school, increased negative behaviour at school, and higher rates of dropout in later years (Martin, 2011; Jimerson & Ferguson, 2007 Range, Pijanowski, Holt, & Young, 2012; Stearns, Moller, Blau, & Potochnick, 2007). Research has also found that grade retention has resulted in significant decreases in achievement motivation, confidence, and self-esteem of retained students (Martin, 2011). Through repeating a year of schooling, particularly in later years, students may feel less confident in their academic abilities, and their motivation to attend school and make academic achievements declines, resulting in higher rates of missed school and an increase likelihood of school dropout. Longitudinal research has also shown links between grade repetition and a decreased likelihood of engaging in higher education, and students who repeated a grade had a lower hourly income than students who were recommended for retention but were promoted to the next year with the cohort (Jimerson & Ferguson, 2007). It is clear from grade retention research that students who repeat a year of school need additional support in order for the decision to repeat to have long-term benefits. The most obvious port of call for this support would be the teacher, as they have the task of guiding the student through their repeated year. However this task can be too great for teachers alone, as the process of teaching a retained student is often difficult, and teachers lack the appropriate time, skills, and resources to provide adequate support for these students (Bosma et al., 2010). 

Grade retention is often used as a 'quick-fix' solution in schools - it is relatively easy to implement as students are simply required to repeat a year of schooling, however it can be an incredibly costly solution, and it often places a great deal of stress and pressure on teachers (Range et al., 2012). In the instance of grade retention, whether for academic, social, behavioural, or emotional reasons, the teacher must teach the student the same content under the same circumstances as the year prior, often with no intervention in the interim to better prepare the student for school (Martin, 2011). Often the teacher who recommends grade retention will see only the short-term benefits of retention for the student, yet will not observe the negative effects of grade retention as the student moves through their schooling (Range et al., 2012). Additionally, as the age range of the students in their class increases due to grade retention, the teacher must make changes to their pedagogical actions and curriculum planning in order to cater for more varied ability levels, which can perpetuate the retained student’s issues further (Martin, 2011). It also poses issues for teachers and their ability to manage classroom behaviour. As grade retention has been found to increase negative behaviours in the classroom, the teacher may have to dedicate a large portion of class time to managing the disruptive or challenging behaviour of the retained student, which not only impacts on the retained student’s learning, but also disrupts the learning of their peers, and can place a great deal of stress on the teacher. 

While research demonstrates that grade retention tends to have poor results, teachers, principals, and parents continue to select grade retention as a solution to students' academic, social, emotional, and behavioural issues at school. In order to prevent students from experiencing the negative effects of grade retention, partnerships must be made to support students prior to and during the repetition of a year of school. As highlighted, this task cannot be achieved by teachers alone (Bosma et al., 2010). Rather, partnerships must be made with stakeholders that have the necessary expertise and resources to provide retained students with the adequate support to have a beneficial and rewarding experience while repeating a year of school.