Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: Pre-Primary Academic Redshirting

Introduction:

The practice of delaying a child’s enrollment in kindergarten until age 6 instead of the standard enrollment age of 5 is known as pre-primary academic redshirting. Originally the practice of holding back a child for a year from entering kindergarten in order to provide them an athletic advantage due to advanced physical maturity, the practice of redshirting has developed an emphasis on academic maturity, as redshirting allows students to enter kindergarten having an advantage over their younger and less mature peers in terms of academic preparedness. Redshirting for academic purposes has been on the rise in American schools, as nearly 17% of children in 2008 were admitted to kindergarten at age 6, whereas only 9% of children were admitted to kindergarten at age 6 back in 1993. The sudden increase in redshirting creates significant age and ability gaps in kindergarten classes, providing redshirted children with a better chance of academic success than their younger peers due to more maturity. However, redshirting is not

always necessary, as recent findings show that the majority of children are actually prepared for kindergarten by age 5. Despite this, the University of Virginia found that children are more likely to be redshirted if they come from a white or high socioeconomic status (SES) family, as these families are more likely to push academic achievement for their children, which may include delaying kindergarten in order to give a child an advantage.

Malcolm Gladwell’s Theory

The factors behind the sudden popularity of academic redshirting correspond with Malcolm Gladwell’s theory of success presented in his book, Outliers, which suggests that success can not be achieved on one’s own, rather it is determined by certain opportunities and their upbringing.

For example, Gladwell examines trends in the rosters of the elite Canadian Hockey League, finding that the majority of players were born in January, February, or March. Comparing these dates to the cutoff date for each age division, January 1, Gladwell proves that birthdates impact success, as the majority of hockey players who were older in each age division became successful because of maturing earlier than their younger peers in their age division. In terms of redshirting, Gladwell’s theory implies that a student who enters kindergarten one year older than the rest of their classmates will have a better chance of success due to earlier

maturity.

Gladwell also develops a theory of how certain demographics contribute to academic success in Outliers by analyzing a study of multiple families and their management of their child’s academic career. The results of the study show that white, wealthy, and highly educated parents take more of an interest in their child’s academic career, often making efforts to provide their child with academic benefits over other students, whereas minority, low class, and less educated parents are less likely to insert themselves in their child’s academic career. Driven by the result of this study, Gladwell’s theory explains the trend in academic redshirting in white and high SES populations, as the clear benefits in redshirting appeal to these populations seeking success in their children’s academic careers.

Population Factor: Hingham, Massachusetts

Gladwell’s theory explains the rates of redshirting in Hingham, Massachusetts, where approximately 17% of second graders in the 2017-2018 school year were found to have been 6 years old when entering kindergarten, resulting in an large age gap in the second grade class. Compared to Hingham, the neighboring towns reflect lower rates of redshirting, as 10% of students in Cohasset and 8% of students in Hanover, Duxbury, and Braintree delayed entering kindergarten for a year due to their lower white and SES populations than those of Hingham.

According to a 2010 census, Hingham’s population is 96.1% white and 1.3% Black or Hispanic. Due to the fact that white parents are more likely to redshirt, Hingham, a primarily white town, has a significant number of children who are redshirted.

Hingham’s high SES population further contributes to the large number of students who are academically redshirted, as about 31% of Hingham residents have an average income of over $200,000, compared to 11% of Massachusetts residents who have an income over $200,000. With overall higher rates of high income in Hingham, families are more likely to get involved in the academic lives of their children, as wealthier families tend to push their children harder in school, hence, are more likely to redshirt their children.

Further, 3% of parents who had completed up to the end of high school planned to delay their child’s kindergarten entry, whereas 12% of parents with a Bachelor’s degree or a higher degree were likely to delay their child’s kindergarten entry. According to a 2011 census, roughly 43.3% of Hingham residents have a Bachelor’s degree, ranking high above the national average of 30% of people with a Bachelor’s degree. Due to the fact that a significant portion of the population of Hingham is highly educated, Hingham has more parents who invest in the benefits of academic redshirting, as more educated parents are more likely to redshirt their children.

Population Factor: Los Angeles, California

Another area where academic redshirting in increasing in popularity is Los Angeles, California. The main factor in the trend of redshirting in Los Angeles is a high SES population, as the median household value in Los Angeles is$593,500 and 32.8% of Los Angeles residents have completed a Bachelor’s degree. In Los Angeles Public Schools, as stated in Gladwell’s theory, the large number of SES families contributes to the rates of redshirting in Los Angeles, as children coming from high SES families are more likely to be redshirted.

However, Los Angeles Public Schools consists of 86% minority families, creating a lower redshirting rate compared to Hingham, as only 7.5% of students in Los Angeles Public Schools are redshirted. Compared to Hingham, Los Angeles has significantly more minorities, resulting in fewer cases of redshirting, as minority parents generally do not get as involved in their children’s academic lives as white parents do, hence, may not feel the need to further prepare their child for kindergarten by redshirting him or her.

Birthdate Factor:

In most American schools, the age cutoff date for enrollment is around early September, such as in California, where the cutoff date for enrollment is September 5. Students born just before date are usually put at a disadvantage, as by kindergarten, their older peers may be more developed and may exceed more in school due to their advantage in maturity. However, if a student with a birthday within close range of the cutoff date is redshirted, they would be older than the rest of their classmates, therefore more mature and developed by kindergarten, resulting in a better chance of future academic success.

Recommendation
Despite the academic benefits that students who are redshirted receive, the recent popularity of academic redshirting has resulted in an age division in kindergarten that puts many students at a disadvantage. In order to close the age gap in kindergarten classes, schools should create a requirement that students enroll only at the age of 5. For example, California will pass the Kindergarten Readiness Act over a three year period starting this year, which ensures that students are 5 years old by the time they enter kindergarten, while also providing a concrete cutoff date that divides classes into groups of students who are all less than a year apart from each other. This law would close the age gap in kindergarten classes, as no students would be age 6 at the beginning of the school year, hence, would not have an advantage over others. However, the one exception to these regulations that needs to be considered is children who were born close to the cutoff date for each year, as students who have just turned 5 are less developed than others who have turned 5 earlier in the year. By establishing these regulations, fewer kindergarteners would be redshirted, resulting in fewer disadvantages and less of an age and ability class in kindergarten classes.