{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.024294670846394983, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0054858934169279, 'mean_word_length': 5.482233502538071, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
No Child Left Behind Act

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a greater number of students are being left behind because of grade retention than ever before. Grade retention in the United States has increased in the past 25 years despite research that fails to support its effectiveness as an intervention. Recent estimates indicate that at least 2 million U.S. students are held back every year (Hauser, Pager, & Simmons, 2000). Moreover, evidence from research and practice highlights the importance of implementing effective alternatives that promote the social and cognitive competence of all students, thereby enhancing educational outcomes. Given the accumulating evidence that grade retention is an ineffective and possibly harmful intervention, it is imperative that school administrators advocate for “promotion plus” policies that depend on effective, evidencebased interventions. The issue for secondary school educators is twofold. Not only must educators determine whether retention is appropriate for a given student, they also need to address the negative academic, social, and emotional consequences for students who were retained in earlier grades. Very often the student’s original difficulties persist, or more likely worsen, as their school career progresses.