School non-promotion practices in primary as well as pre-primary education are widespread, although significant differences are recorded between countries, even within Western-Europe (OECD, 1998; Paul, 1997). Although many teachers believe that early non-promotion provides the child with the time needed to naturally develop school readiness (Troncin, 2004), a growing body of literature has confirmed the negative effects of early retention practices (Carlton & Winsler, 1999; Jimerson, 2001; Mantzicopoulos, 2003; Mantzicopoulos & Morrison, 1992; Matthews et al., 1999; Shepard, 1989; Troncin, 2004). Significant differences between countries in both pre-primary education systems and in retention rates urge nations to evaluate non-promotion practices within their own educational context. In previous research (Gadeyne, Ghesquière, & Onghena, submitted), we studied the predictors of several early non-promotion trajectories in Flanders (Belgium). In the present study, we investigate short-term academic and psychosocial outcomes of the children in those trajectories. The current research sample consists of 3605 children, participating in a large-scale longitudinal study, who entered their last kindergarten year for the first time in 2002-2003. In 2003-2004, 233 of them followed a non-promotion trajectory. In 2004-2005, this number increased to 507. In those three consecutive years, language and math tests were administerd to the children. In addition, psychosocial functioning of the children was assessed by means of teacher questionnaires. The academic and psychosocial functioning of the distinct non-promotion groups was compared to one another using covariance analysis. The initial differences in (pre-)academic skills, as recorded prior to non-promotion, remain preserved, or grow even slightly troughout the two non-promotion years. Few academic differences emerge between the three non-promotion alternatives.As to psychosocial functioning, the initial differences between promotion and non-promotion groups seem to decrease to some degree. In particular, teachers' judgements seem to evolve in a slightly negative way for the promotion group, whereas they evolve in a more positive way for the non-promotion groups.Previous research already suggested that, in Flanders, the assignment of children to specific non-promotion trajectories isn't related to differences in academic or psychosocial functioning. In the present study, it seems that the academic and psychosocial evolution of the children does not depend on the type of the non-promotion trajectory either. At this moment, we are still studying the role of some other covariates besides the children's initial academic and psychosocial functioning, such as IQ and SES. Carlton, M. P., & Winsler, A. (1999). School readiness: The need for a paradigm shift. School Psychology Review, 28, 338-352. Gadeyne, E., Ghesquière, P., & Onghena, P. (submitted). Child and family characteristics associated with non-promotion in pre-primary education. Jimerson, S. R. (2001). Meta-analysis of grade retention research: Implications for practice in the 21st century. School Psychology Review, 30, 420-437. Mantzicopoulos, P. (2003). Academic and school adjustment outcomes following placement in a developmental first-grade program. The Journal of Educational Research, 97, 90-105. Mantzicopoulos, P., & Morrison, D. (1992). Kindergarten retention: Academic and behavioral outcomes through the end of second grade. American Educational Research Journal, 29, 182-198. Matthews, L. L., May, D. C., & Kundert, D. (1999). Adjustment outcomes of developmental placement: A longitudinal study. Psychology in the Schools, 36, 495-504. OECD (1998). Overcoming school failure. Paris: OECD. Paul, J.-J. (1997). Le redoublement à l'école: Une maladie universelle? [school retention : A universal disease?] International Review of Education, 43, 611-627. Shepard, L. A. (1989). A review of research on kindergarten retention. L. A. Shepard, & M. L. Smith (Eds.), Flunking grades: Research and policies on retention (pp. 64-78). London: The Falmer Press. Troncin, T. (2004) Le redoublement au cours préparatoire. Retrieved December 15th, 2004, from http://www.u-bourgogne.fr/IREDU/semi.htm. National (in the field of educational practice) as well as international (in the field of (special) educational research) journal