Grade repetition during COVID-19: Investigating early childcare and school support as potential protective factors

Remote schooling during COVID-19 increased academic inequalities as disadvantaged students fell further behind in their learning (Fischbach, 2021; Haelermans et al., 2022; Phenow et al., 2022). This may have led to unequal risks of grade retention for children of different family backgrounds, putting in question the inclusivity of the Luxembourgish school system. As grade retention often has negative effects on further learning development (Hattie, 2010), this study investigates the role of two potential protective factors against grade retention, i.e. attendance in early childcare and school support during lockdown years. Early childhood education and care attendance has repeatedly been shown as a measure against academic inequalities (Bennett, 2012). Its early impact prepares children for schooling and can help educationally deprived children from falling behind early (DeAngelis et al., 2020; van Huizen & Plantenga, 2018). School support has been shown to promote learning achievement in general (Tao et al., 2022). When normal learning is disrupted during lockdown, it may be especially beneficial for students without strong parental support (Malecki & Demaray, 2006; Wright & Wachs, 2022). We use longitudinal data collected by the Luxembourg school monitoring programme ÉpStan on the cohort starting first grade in 2018 that experienced lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. Using regression analysis, we test whether early childcare attendance and teacher support decrease the likelihood of grade retention until 2023 and whether this relationship is moderated by socioeconomic status and home language. We hypothesize that early childcare and teacher support are related to a smaller risk of grade retention, especially for students with low socioeconomic status and those not speaking the instruction languages at home. Findings might help identify ways to protect vulnerable students from even further setbacks in crises, reduce long-term achievement gaps, and prepare for future emergencies where remote learning needs to be implemented suddenly