Goldhaber Featured in a Hechinger Report Article on Holding Back Students
Posted: 8/20/2026 ()
Throughout the country, states and school districts approach retention differently, some considering it a last resort. Some states wait until high school while other states tend to retain students in elementary school. According to the Hechinger Report article, “A national divide over holding back students: Some states do it young, others wait until high school,” concern about student performance has intensified nationally. A growing number of states are mandating the approach of requiring or allowing schools to retain third grade students who are not reading at grade level. CSDE Affiliate Dan Goldhaber (UW Center for Education Data and Research) is quoted in this article detailing that “if the retention happens in earlier grades and is combined with help — not just a threat, but some kind of positive intervention — the results, at least in the short-run, tend to be good.” To read the full article, visit this link.