| Sylvania City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5410 - PROMOTION, ACCELERATION, PLACEMENT, AND RETENTION
The Board of Education recognizes that the personal, social, physical, and educational growth of children will vary and that they should be placed in the educational setting most appropriate to their needs at the various stages of their growth.
It shall be the policy of the Board that each student be moved forward in a continuous pattern of achievement and growth that is in harmony with his/her own development.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for promotion, placement, and retention of students which require that a student be retained if s/he is truant for 10% or more of the required school days and has failed at least two (2) courses of study, unless the principal and the teachers of the failed subjects determine that the student is academically prepared to be promoted.
Understandings. Any program or procedure designed to carry out a promotional policy must allow for the following understandings:
| A. | Constant attention must be paid by all teachers and administrators to curriculum coordination from grade to grade and within subject matter areas as outlined in courses of study and curriculum guides. | |
| B. | These promotion procedures apply only to students who are considered intact -- those who have not been diagnosed as eligible to be served by a special program of the Department of Student Services. Handicapped Children's needs must be met through individualized educational plans in the least restrictive environment. | |
| C. | Many things must be taken into consideration in determining what placement is best for a student, including emotional, psychological, social and academic factors. | |
| D. | There shall be procedures for informing and conferring with parents and for early warnings of deficiencies providing adequate time and opportunities for correcting learning deficiencies before a student is retained. | |
| E. | Principals, after consultation with staff and parents, shall have the authority to make the final decision relative to the promotion and retention of students. |
K-6
Promotion from grade-to-grade in K-6 will be based upon a successful completion of requirements as outlined in state minimum standards, courses of study, curriculum guides and adopted instructional materials. Emphasis will be upon identifying and correcting deficiencies before a student is retained. To accomplish this, promotion procedures must include these elements:
| A. | Danger Signals The teacher is in the best position to recognize the danger signals of possible learning difficulties. All of the following combine to alert the teacher to possible difficulties: lack of academic progress, inadequate study and social skills, and poor attendance. | |
| B. | Organized Information Once it has been established that a student may need special assistance, all pertinent information about the student should be gathered in an organized way. A study of this information by classroom teachers, student services personnel and the principal should guide decisions about appropriate actions to correct the deficiencies. | |
| C. | Procedural Safeguards Parent involvement in the process is vital. Early, frequent and comprehensive contacts with parents are essential to make sure the eventual placement has potential for success. Procedures must include the aspects of due process. | |
| D. | Options After student needs have been analyzed, staff members will plan for correction of the deficiencies in appropriate ways, of which retention in a grade in only one (1). Retention is not always a sound educational practice and when used requires a planned program to overcome the learning difficulties. |
After July 1, 2001, no student shall be promoted to the fifth grade unless one of the following requirements has been met:
| A. | the student achieves the score required for passage of the Fourth Grade Ohio Proficiency Test in reading | |
| B. | the student shall be excused from taking the test under C,1, of Section 3301 of the revised code, or | |
| C. | the student's principal and reading teacher agree that the student is academically prepared and provide alternate evidence to be promoted in the fifth grade |
7-8
Promotion from grade-to-grade in 7-8 and to the high school will be based upon successful completion of course requirements as outlined in State minimum standards, courses of study, curriculum guides, and adopted instructional materials.
All intact 7th and 8th grade students must pass two (2) years of the following core subjects: English, math, science, and social studies. Students are required to pass fourth (4th) quarter of each year and must have earned at least a 1.0 overall grade point average in each subject area. For the purpose of schools on trimester schedules, students are required to pass the third (3rd) trimester of each year and must have earned at least a 1.0 overall grade point average in each subject.
All intact 7th and 8th grade students are required to complete the courses and meet the State curriculum requirements in the following subjects: physical education; unified arts or consumer education/industrial arts/art; music; and reading.
If a course is failed, a student may:
| A. | attend summer school to earn the appropriate credits to raise the earned grade points to required levels in the following courses: English, mathematics, science, social studies, and reading/communication skills. A student is limited to taking two (2) of these courses in summer school; | |
| B. | repeat the semester of the course failed until a total of four (4) grade points have been earned for the course, or for schools on trimester schedules, repeat the trimester of the course failed until a total of three (3) grade points have been earned for the course. | |
| Students who do not complete the 7th and 8th grade requirements by the end of their eighth grade summer will be retained. Exceptions to the above guidelines may be made by the principal following discussion with staff and parents. |
High School
Promotion from grade to grade in the high school sequence and graduation from high school shall be based upon satisfactory completion of District requirements as well as those outlined in State minimum standards, courses of study, curriculum guides, and adopted instructional materials.
The awarding of a diploma indicates that the course requirements in a planned and approved program have been met along with any State requirements including the passage of all required parts of the Ohio Proficiency Test. The official transcript indicates the specifics of the programs including achievements as indicated by grades and rank in class.
| A. | Credit Requirements: | |
| Effective with the entering class of 1992-1993 (graduating class of 1996), twenty (20) units of credit above the eighth grade, as a minimum, shall be required for graduation from high school. Effective with the entering class of 1998 - 1999 (graduating class of 2002), twenty-one (21) units of credit above the eighth grade, as a minimum, shall be required for graduation from high school. A student will receive credit for each course upon meeting requirements for the course as outlined in courses of study, curriculum guides, and adopted instructional materials | ||
| The minimum mandatory core curriculum required shall be: |
| 1. | English 4 credits | ||
| 2. | Social Studies 3 credits |
| a. | One (1) credit must be American history; | |||
| b. | One-half (1/2) credit must be American government; | |||
| c. | One and one-half (1-1/2) credit may be from the other social studies options; and |
| 3. | Science 3 credits | ||
| 4. | Mathematics 3 credits | ||
| 5. | Health and Physical Education 1 credit | ||
| 6. | Business/Technology, Fine Arts, |
| B. | Remediation Program | |
| The high school sequence will include a planned program of identification and remediation for those students with learning difficulties. |
| 1. | Identification. | ||
| Entering ninth grade students will be screened for possible learning difficulties using such multiple criteria as standardized test result patterns over time, grades received in elementary and junior high school and professional staff observations. As high school progress is monitored additional students may be identified as needing remediation. | |||
| 2. | Remediation | ||
| Identified students will be assigned into the appropriate classes for remediation. Successful completion of these courses shall take precedence over the taking of other courses outside the core curriculum as described above. |
| C. | Development of Programs and Procedures | |
| In general, promotion from grade to grade shall be based upon skills, knowledge, and ability rather than chronological age. Regulations designed to reach this objective shall be developed jointly by teachers and administrators. It is recognized that the duty to assign students to the proper schools and grades is reposed by statute in the Superintendent. |
R.C. 3313.647
A.C. 3301-35-02 (B) (5)
Revised 4/26/99
Revised 12/16/02