Does Delayed School Entry Reduce Later Grade Retentions and Use of Special Education Services

The practice of delaying children's entry into a kindergarten program 1 year beyond the traditional chronolgical age of their classmates is a controversial issue. although this practice has been said to reduce the need for grade retentions and special education services, the research literature has yielded contradictory results about the effects of delayed entry on students. the present study examined the effects of delayed entry in one suburban new york school district on later elementaryschool grade retention and special education service rates. in addition, the influence of gender on the practice of delayed entry was investigated. the sample for this study consisted of all students (n = 3,238) who were enrolled in grades 1 through 12; from this, a subsample of all children (n = 279) who had delayed school entry were identified, and their records were examined for future retentions and use of special education services. it was found that students who delayed school entry were most often male and were pl...