The practice of retaining or holding students back a grade is gaining in popularity. A comprehensive review of the literature over the past 16 years supports that view and uncovers great discrepancies between educators' beliefs and confirmable evidence regarding retentions. This article describes actual retention practices in two Utah school districts and compares the children recommended for retention with a control group. These two groups were found to be significantly different in intellectual ability, academic achievement, and adjustment characteristics. In order to measure the effects of nonpromotion, the retained children's growth was compared to the growth of academically similar-functioning children who were recommended for retention but were promoted. These recommended-for-retention children were retested one year after the retention decision was made. Retention was not found to benefit the children academically or in personal or social adjustment.