A study conducted for the mayor's office found that it resulted in no greater achievement gains for retained students than for their low-achieving counterparts in previous years. Worse, the dropout rate for those held back was much higher than that of similar students who had been promoted. Emerging research also indicates that such policies jeopardize approaches that are working. Most students who entered the program in 1993-95, scored in the lowest 40th percentile on the MAT, the standardized reading and math test given in Boston at that time. Yet, these young people have done very well in making the transition to college and careers.
Protech participants show significantly higher rates of college attendance and completion.
Overall, benefits were greatest for African-American participants. Not bad outcomes for young people whose scores on standardized tests, in today's high-stakes testing environment, could keep them from graduating from high school. The Protech research is consistent with other studies that have shown that young people who develop a focus during high school are more likely to accumulate credits in college and earn a degree. Yet in many cities and states, students who do not score well on new assessment tests will not have time in their schedules to develop such a focus by entering a career pathway or undertaking a career major. Instead, they will take and retake basic skills courses until they reach the cut-off score or drop out altogether.