Research brief
Should kindergartners be redshirted? Costs likely outweigh academic benefits
March 2026
Description
This research brief examines the data on holding back five-year-olds from starting kindergarten – a practice known as redshirting. Using national data from over three million kindergartners from NWEA’s MAP Growth K-2 assessment, this study explores redshirting trends between fall 2017 and 2025. It also follows a kindergarten cohort (2021-22) through the third grade, examining whether there were academic advantages for redshirted students.
See MoreTopics: Early learning, Growth
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