5410 - PROMOTION, ACCELERATION, PLACEMENT, AND RETENTION

Willard City School District

Administrative Guidelines

Optimal school achievement is obtained when students experience success in their daily activities and build upon successful experiences as they encounter new learning situations. All aspects of the student must be considered as grade placements are made.

DEFINITIONS

	A.	Promotion:
		Occurs when a student is doing the caliber of work (grade level) that indicates the student has met the criteria established in Policy 5410 and restated below.
	B.	Acceleration
		Occurs when a student is not only doing the caliber of work necessary to be promoted to the next grade or enroll in the next course in the academic sequence, but also demonstrates the ability to do the caliber of work required of students in that next grade level/subject/course. Provided the student's teacher(s) recommends it and the building administrator and parent(s) concur, the student will be permitted to skip a grade level, take a subject at a higher grade level, or skip a course in the usual and customary academic sequence.
	C.	Placement:
		Occurs when a student is not doing the caliber of work that indicates the student should be promoted to the next grade. However, the Student Intervention Team recommends and the building administrator concurs, that it is in the student's best interest to move to the next grade.
	D.	Retention:
		Occurs when a student is not doing the caliber of work that indicates the student should be promoted to the next grade, based on the recommendation of the Student Intervention Team with the concurrence of the building administrator.

Final decisions on student promotion, placement, or retention rest with the building principal.

To implement Board policy, the following guidelines are to be utilized:

Elementary Level

	A.	Criteria
		To be promoted the student must satisfactorily complete the majority of academic subjects. Reading ability shall be considered for promotion purposes.
	B.	Time Line for Elementary Grade Assignment Changes

		1.	Before Parent/Teacher Conference: Principal will review grade placement procedures with teachers.
		2.	October-January: Teacher should inform parents of student progress.
		3.	Early March: Teacher will notify principal, if an alternative grade placement or retention is being considered.
		4.	Early April: If placement or retention is still being considered, parents should be notified by this time and commitment to the decision secured, if possible.
		5.	May-June: Decision on placement or retention is made, the student Grade Placement Recommendation is completed, and the student's parents are notified of the decision.
			If the parent(s) have not previously agreed to the decision, they should also be advised of their right to appeal the decision to the Superintendent.

Middle School Level

	A.	Criteria
		To be promoted the student must successfully complete a majority.
	B.	Time Line for Middle School Grade Assignment

		1.	Before Parent/Teacher Conferences: Principal will review, with teachers, grade placement procedure.
		2.	October-January: Teacher should indicate concern to parents and should initiate documentation. Any concerns should be reflected on report cards.
		3.	Early March: Teacher will notify principal, if an alternative grade placement or retention is being considered.
		4.	Early April: If placement or retention is still being considered, parents should be notified by this time and commitment to the decision secured, if possible.
		5.	May-June: Decision on placement or retention is made, the student Grade Placement Recommendation is completed, and the student's parents are notified of the decision.
			If the parent(s) have not previously agreed to the decision, they should also be advised of their right to appeal the decision to the Superintendent.

High School Level

Criteria

	A.	To earn credit for a course, the student must satisfactorily complete the requirements established in the graded course of study as well as those set by his/her teacher.
	B.	Students enrolling from schools having different graduation requirements will have their credits pro-rated for class placement.
	C.	All incoming students will be informed of these requirements at the time of admission.
	D.	Failure to satisfactorily complete a course will result in no credit earned unless and until the student re-enrolls in the course and satisfactorily completes it.