Grade Retention: The Role of Speech and Language Disorders, Race and Ethnicity, Sex, Socioeconomic Status, Special Education, and Bilingualism

The odds of grade retention for children with speech or language disorders were assessed using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), a nationally representative and cross-sectional survey of U.S. children from 2016 to 2021. Various demographic, social, and education variables were also examined to confirm prior findings with a large national cohort. Results indicate higher odds of retention for children who were identified with speech and language disorders, from marginalized racial and ethnic groups, boys, from lower socioeconomic households, and in special education. Bilingual children had lower odds of retention. Teachers and speech-language pathologists need to recognize that the odds of grade retention and related outcomes, such as not completing high school, could be compounded for children with speech and language disorders.