Post Type: ARTICLES
Academic redshirting is the practice of postponing an age-eligible child’s kindergarten entry by a year, typically one whose birthday is very close to the cut-off date. Academic redshirting is often done in order to provide some extra time for social, intellectual or physical maturation. Academic redshirting is also known as holding out a year; delayed school entry; postponed kindergarten entrance. In the United States, by law, a child must begin school if the child is six years old on/or before September 1.
As a former Educator and Educational Consultant, in NY, Academic Redshirting is one of my educational pet peeves. I observed many young children been denied entrance into kindergarten because of age-eligibility. As an age-eligible child, I was denied entry into kindergarten in the United States Virgin Islands. When I had to explain this practice to parents in the NYC Public School system, it was very difficult. As a former consultant to The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and currently engaged in research, I now understand the effects of academic redshirting.
Although, I do not totally agree with all practice of academic redshirting, I have come to accept certain aspects of this practice. Having collecting certain data for NCES, I became intrigued with this practice in New York and the US Virgin Islands; therefore, I spent countless hours researching and paying attention to certain academic redshirting information. The information clearly explains how crucial it is for certain children to be allowed entry into kindergarten based on their social, emotional, intellectual, or physical growth. I was highly surprised when I became a teacher in New York and found out that parents in the New York schools were delayed enrollment in kindergarten of an age-eligible child, if the child has a birthday so close to the cut-off date that he or she is likely to be among the youngest in the class. Most parents in the US Virgin Islands were not aware of the educational law. Some of the children were removed from ‘public schools’ and placed in parochial and private schools where the law was not applied to age-eligible children.
My parents like these here in NY were advised to keep their children home for one more year. They were advised that in doing so, it would only prepare me to be more successful in coping with the social, emotional and academic demands of kindergarten than younger children. Of course, this practice was not accepted by most parents in the US Virgin Islands. Some parents in the US Virgin Islands embraced ‘homeschooling’ as an alternative until their children were age-eligible for school. By the time some children in the US Virgin islands reached age four, many could spell their names, count from (1-100) and engage in other educational activities. Some of us were intellectually prepared but after becoming an educator in NY and having to make that comparison between both cultures, I found out that in other aspects the mainland children were more prepared in many other aspects. I agree with some educators who suggested that intellectual development is not enough and other aspects of a child’s growth are essential.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that, nationally, during the 2006-2007 school year, 7% of children had parents who planned to delay their entrance into kindergarten. This statistic included a higher percentage of boys than girls and a lower percentage of children living in poor households – O’Donnell, 2008. According to researcher Graue, studies suggest that “redshirting is a relatively low-incidence practice that clusters in certain communities. Although the average academic redshirting trend tends to be about 7%, it ranges from 0 to much higher in certain schools” (Personal communication, February 24, 2000-; also see Graue & DiPerna, 2000).
Of course, the above statistics and percentage reflect the report on a national basis and internationally speaking, during the baby booming era, the percentage reflects a higher percentage. On an international basis, the statistics reflect a much higher percentage due to poor household issues, migration from other Caribbean islands etc. Also, during the World War II, many parents had to go to work. I do not necessarily agree with the practice of academic redshirting for all children. I arrive at the conclusion that parents should do their due diligence after working in the inner-city schools in New York and having coming in contact with children from all walks of life such as: The Caribbean, South America, Central America, China, Latinos, Asians, Africans and that practice makes me realize this practice varies from country to country.
The research conducted on the effects of redshirting has shown mixed results both on a national and tertiary level. It is extremely difficult to establish a link between redshirted and doing very well or poorly in kindergarten and beyond. Researchers are saying that some older studies are indicating that some social outcomes for oldest and youngest children in a class were similar. However, other research suggested that older children showed more behavioral problems (Graue &DiPerna, 2000, pp. 512-513). One Wisconsin examined 8,000 students’ school records to discern patterns related to school entry age. Promotion, retention, receipt of special services, and achievement in school. The authors reported that redshirted in the younger half of their age cohort (that is, those with spring or summer birthdays) were more likely to receive special education services than peers who were typically promoted (Graue & DiPerna, 2000, p. 7). Another study of 116 kindergartners and first-graders in California found few entrance-age-related differences in self-reports of school adjustment, loneliness, perceptions of competence or maternal and peer acceptance (Spitzer, Cupp, & Parke, 1995, p.433)
Being involved, with early childhood longitudinal study regarding children’s achievement in reading and math, we found that redshirted children showed slightly higher reading knowledge and skills when tested at the end of first grade than did children who started kindergarten on time. In mathematics; however, redshirted children’s scores were somewhat behind those of children who had started kindergarten on time (Malone, West Flanagan, & Park, 2006.)
Several data have been collected on academic redshirting. Recently another data was released stating that early or late school-age entry cut-off dates nationwide rather than to redshirting, suggests that students who are older than peers in their grade score higher on achievement tests and are less likely to repeat a grade or to be diagnosed with learning disabilities than younger students in the same class (Elder and Lubotsky, 2006). These findings may be misleading when applied to children who begin kindergarten earlier or later due to redshirting (Elder & Lubotsky 2006, p.28)
Many of my colleagues (educators) have pointed out that an elementary-age child who starts school older than other children in his/her grade (unless he/she has a learning disability) may score higher than others in his/her grade on tests, but this does not prove that starting school later has improved his/her learning. Rather, it shows only that he/she is older than others in his/her grade taking the test at the same time, at a point in his/her life when a few months of difference in age can translate into significant differences in experience and cognitive skills (Deming & Dynarski, 2008). Other findings based on national statistics suggested that when the age of school entry rises, so does the high school dropout rate (Deming & Dynarski, 2008, p.2).
Some researchers have speculated that redshirting may also have short-term and long-term economic effects. Delaying school entry can cost a family an additional year of child care or preschool, or it can result in the loss of parent’s income for an additional year if that parent stays at home with the child. In the long term, delaying kindergarten also delays the students’ completion of their education and entry into the workforce (Elder and Lubotsky, 2006).
I would like to conclude that there is no easy remedy for this problem. Children mature at different rates. Depending on a child’s socio-economical and spiritual environment, development of that child varies. It is very difficult to determine whether a child is socially, emotionally and academically ready to start school early. One of the educational measuring tools I learned is that you cannot measure the length or depth of a child by looking at that child. Before making the decision to keep their children out of kindergarten for an extra year, parents should consider asking the following questions: (Katz, 2007, p.2):
References
Deming, David, & Dynarski, Susan. (2008) The lengthening of childhood
Graue, M. Elizabeth, & DiPerna, James (2000). Redshirting and early retention
Spitzer, Sue; Cupp, Robert; & nParke, Ross D. (1995). School entrance age, social acceptance, and self-perception in kindergarten and first grade.
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