Transition Guidelines
for Promotion and Retention
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do we have promotion and retention guidelines now?
- The School Reform Commission has adopted a Graduation and Promotion Policy effective September 2003. Because there was no official policy governing our promotion and retention decisions for the current year, we have developed guidelines to assist schools in their end-of-year decisions. These guidelines will also help frame consistent and equitable expectations for all students across the district.
- Are these guidelines mandatory?
- The guidelines for Grades 1 and 2 students allow schools to make
the promotion decisions collaboratively with parents. If students
do not meet the promotion achievement levels in reading and/or
mathematics, the developmental, social and academic needs of the
child should be taken into consideration before a decision is made.
In all other grades, the guidelines as written will be the determining factor in making promotion decisions. Based on input on the Mark Sense sheets, students who do not make the promotion achievement levels on report cards or on the TerraNova will be automatically assigned by Information Technology (IT) to a summer program. Based on the marks and scores submitted by the summer program teacher at the end of summer program, IT will record promotion/retention decisions.
- The guidelines for Grades 1 and 2 students allow schools to make
the promotion decisions collaboratively with parents. If students
do not meet the promotion achievement levels in reading and/or
mathematics, the developmental, social and academic needs of the
child should be taken into consideration before a decision is made.
- What happens to first and second graders who are retained? Are
there summer supports for them?
- The School District is not providing mandatory summer programs for students in grades 1 and 2. However, elementary schools with large numbers of children not reaching promotion levels of achievement in those grades are strongly urged to design and fund their own summer programs.
- In third grade, what happens if the teacher did not teach a
math strand in the third marking period? What goes in the third
box?
- For any strand not taught in the third marking period, the teacher should average the marks from the previous report periods and enter the average as the cumulative score for that strand.
- Who will be assigned to a summer program?
- A student will be assigned to a summer program if he/she
- Has failed Reading (Grade 3), Language Arts (Grade 4), or English (Grades 5-8); or Mathematics; or has scored below the 26th percentile in reading or math in the fall 2002 administration of TerraNova.
- Has not completed either a multidisciplinary or service learning project (Grade 8 only).
- A student will be assigned to a summer program if he/she
- What happens to a student who passes reading and math but fails
science or social studies?
- A student who passes reading and math but fails science or social studies will be promoted. The School District is not offering remedial summer programs in science or social studies this year.
- What decisions are made in June and at the end of summer
program?
- In June, the decision is either to promote the student or assign him/her to a mandatory summer program. At the end of the summer program, the decision is to promote or retain the student. Consult the 2003 Transition Guidelines for Promotion and Retention: Grades K-8 and Recommended Marking Guidelines for grade-specific promotion requirements.
- Will we have marking guidelines next year for the new
Graduation and Promotion policy?
- Yes. When the new Core Curriculum is completed, Marking Guidelines will be constructed for each of the content areas completed. These will be available in the fall of 2003.
- How do reading marks impact promotion/retention decisions in
grades 5-8 when the English mark is the deciding factor?
- The English mark in grades 5-8 has four components: Literature (50%), Written Communication (30%), Oral Communication (10%), and Homework (10%). The Literature component, accounting for 50% of the English mark, is obtained from the student's performance in comprehension, strategies, fluency, and response to texts -- all indicators of a student's reading behaviors.
- Some of us are using Literacy blocks in Middle schools.
Shouldn't this be reflected in the report card with a Literacy grade
and not an English/Reading grade?
- Report cards will be revised next year. For this year, middle schools will continue to use the English score to reflect reading achievement.
- How are promotion decisions made for students whose parents
refuse to allow them to take standardized tests?
- Parents may request that their child be excluded from an assessment for religious beliefs only. If, after reviewing the assessment materials, parents find the assessment to be in conflict with their religious beliefs, they may submit a written request to the appropriate school district personnel asking to exclude their child from the assessment. In such cases, promotion decisions will be made with all other relevant information.
- Is there a maximum number of times a student can be
retained?
- Every support effort should be implemented so that, if possible, students will be retained only one time in grades K-3, and one time in grades 4-8.