Teachers continue to pass failing students despite evidence showing holding them back might help them

New research suggests that holding students back a grade is helpful, but opposition subsists, an education columnist in the Washington Post wrote.

"Most of the educators I know don’t like grade retention — the term of art for holding a student back. They prefer to help students improve without squashing their dreams and keeping them in place while their friends move forward," Jay Mathews wrote.

"But they face new battles, because recent studies show making kids repeat grades can improve their future performance."

Mathews’ column noted that RAND Corporation in October released a study showing evidence that grade retention in earlier grades is often beneficial.