BOARD
POLICY
5123 -
Promotion/Retention/Acceleration
The Governing Board of the Sacramento City Unified School District is
committed to an educational program that promotes success for all
students, including English learners and special needs students. The
guiding principles serve as the foundation for the implementation of the
policy.
Critical Checkpoints for Making
Decisions:
- Grade One
- Grades Three, Six and Eight
- Promotion and
Retention Provisions for Students with Disabilities
- Promotion and Retention Provisions
for English Learners
- English
Learners at the Beginning Levels
- English
Learners at the Intermediate and Advanced Levels
-
English Learners at the Fluent/Non-proficient Level
GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
1.
Personal accountability on the part of students, parents,
teachers and other staff.
2.
Everyone in the system must follow a common set of guidelines.
3.
Good teaching and instructional design help prevent learning
difficulties and may be more cost-effective than intervention. The
Sacramento City Unified School District will:
-
Provide
professional development for teachers promoting the knowledge and
skills to facilitate good teaching among diverse learners. Good
teaching may include content expertise; knowledge of curriculum
scope and sequence; implementing research based teaching strategies
and using the data generated from evaluative practices; the ability
to adjust instruction to students’ needs and instructional
targets; and the capability to help all student groups internalize
performance needs and externalize behavioral expectations.
-
Utilize
classroom assessments to keep a record of achievement and failure to
achieve. Students who are at risk for not attaining the necessary
skills pertaining to the grade level standards are to be identified
as early as possible. Interventions will be developed and
implemented in an environment conducive to learning.
4.
Students are responsible for performing curriculum tasks
and complying with behavioral norms and academic progress towards Board
approved academic standards. Students are to assist their schools and
teachers who provide instruction, on-going monitoring and student
assessment and interventions when required. Families and teachers are to
monitor progress and will intervene when achievement falls below
standard criteria.
5.
Parents are vital to the overall success of the academic
program. Families have the duty and obligation to support their
children. Parents are expected to take an active role by committing to
the following home-school practices; support for on time-full time
attendance; homework completion; habits which promote the acquisitional
states to make learning possible; and the attitudes that link education
with future goals and roles. Effective interventions require a
partnership between the parents and the school that clearly communicates
and supports the needs of the student.
6.
Multiple assessments are used to discern academic progress
from grades one to two, three to four, six to seven and eight to nine.
Grade level prerequisite content standards establish the mastery
guidelines for all adopted curricula. Grades 1. 3, 6 and 8 are key
grades for making critical decisions regarding retention.
7.
Retention is only chosen when it is in the best interest of
the child. A retention decision is accompanied by an intervention
plan that promotes learning and supports the student socially and
emotionally. Retention is facilitated in such a manner to engender
student esteem, engage familial support, and provide teacher adaptations
or accommodations to produce new learning experiences.
8.
The district’s regulations that specifically address
promotion criteria and practices are reviewed and revised annually.
Site principals will continue to refine the implementation of these
regulations. Staff will monitor the effectiveness of the criteria used
for retention. Considerations for special education students and English
Learners are provided.
PROMOTION
& RETENTION
Standards
and Assessment:
Students
will be promoted from Kindergarten through grade eight by meeting
language arts and math content standards and demonstrating sufficient
academic growth toward the prerequisite language arts and math content
standards for success at the next grade level. Prerequisite standards
are measured by grade level assessments. The Board adopted content
standards for language arts and math drive all assessment procedures and
provide the evaluation rubric for all students. Student achievement is
determined on the basis of objective data using multiple
assessments.
The
student’s progress toward mastery of the grade level prerequisite
content standards will be measured by curriculum embedded assessments,
standardized scores (STAR) and current grade level achievement and
progress. Grade level achievement reflects the necessary mastery of
prerequisite standards along with other developmental factors (social,
emotional, and physical). The student will be promoted if the
established grade level criteria are met or exceeded.
Monitoring:
Each
school has the responsibility to provide frequent reviews of student
performance. Progress is indicated when achievement is aligned with the
grade level prerequisite language arts and math content standards.
Academic feedback and planning for individual student success is the
shared responsibility of students, parents, and school site staff.
Monitoring and implementing promotion and retention procedures is the
site responsibility.
Parent
Notification:
Parent
notification and involvement in the implementation of prescribed
interventions and/or retention decisions is required in accordance with
Education Code Section 48070.5(e). The support and approval of
parents/guardians are important to a student’s success.
Promotion
decisions are based upon multiple criteria as established by
administrative regulations. Students who do not meet the prerequisite
grade level standards for success at the next grade level in language
arts and math will be strongly recommended to participate in extended
programs, (e.g., after school tutorials, Saturday school and summer
school). Students who are academically failing at grade eight will be
assigned to an intensive reading and math program designed to rapidly
improve academic performance and prepare them for enrollment in the
ninth grade in a comprehensive high school.
ACCELERATION
In
the Kindergarten through the eighth grade levels, the Superintendent or
designee may recommend a student for acceleration (double promotion)
into a higher grade level when high academic achievement is evident. The
student's social and emotional growth will be taken into consideration
in making a recommendation to accelerate a student.
In
the high school grades, the students may accelerate the acquisition of
credits through established district procedures (cf. 6146.1 - High
School Graduation Requirements/Standards of Proficiency).
RETENTION
The
Promotion and Retention Policy has elements that include the following:
1.
In the first through the eighth grade levels, retention shall be
considered only when it is in the best interest of the student. Prior to
a retention decision, good first teaching and needed interventions will
be implemented. Students will be strongly recommended to participate in
identified interventions. Retention will be considered only after
intervention efforts have been unsuccessful. Retained students will
receive priority consideration for entry into intervention
programs.
2.
Each school site will be responsible for implementing needed
interventions and keeping records of systemic intervention programs for
students not making progress toward mastery of content standards.
Prescribed interventions will be designed to address lack of growth
toward attainment of prerequisite content standards, with documentation
starting at Kindergarten.
3.
Retention recommendations will be made by the Grade
Level/Segment Team after careful and systematic review of
documentation of interventions over time and consideration of the
teacher’s written statement, in accordance with Education Code Section
48070.5 (d) (2). Students will be retained unless the pupil’s teacher
or Grade Level/Segment Team recommends in writing that retention is not
the appropriate intervention for the pupil’s academic and social
emotional deficiencies. Principals
will consider the teacher’s written statement and Grade Level/Segment
Team recommendations in making the final decision. Parents are able
to request an administrative review of the final decision.
KEY
DECISION POINTS AND GUIDELINES
Critical Checkpoints for Making
Decisions
Grade One
Grade
one has been identified as the targeted grade level for promotion
decisions. Retention should be considered as early in a student's
academic career as possible. Grade one is pivotal to the acquisition of
skills for reading and on-going successful achievement. As such,
retention criteria have been identified for grade one to ensure that all
students have the core knowledge and skills for reading success.
Criteria
and Decisions for Grade One
First
grade students, who (1) do not demonstrate mastery of decoding and word
recognition skills as identified in prerequisite content standards and
measured by the grade level assessments OR
(2) are not successful with applied classroom interventions and/or
extended learning may be retained.
Grades
Three, Six, and Eight
Grades
three, six, and eight have been identified as targeted checkpoints for
making promotion/retention decisions. These grades are viewed as pivotal
to the acquisition of skills required for on-going successful
achievement. As such, criteria have been defined for each of these grade
levels to ensure that all students have the core knowledge and skills
necessary for promotion and success at the next grade level. Retention
may be considered at any grade level.
Criteria
and Decisions for Grade Three
Third
grade students, who have not been previously retained and who (1) do not
demonstrate mastery of the prerequisite language
arts content standards as measured by the grade level assessments OR
(2) are not successful with classroom interventions and/or extended
learning, may be retained.
Criteria and
Decisions for Grade Six
Sixth
grade students who (1) do not demonstrate mastery of the prerequisite
content standards in reading, language arts, and math, as measured
by grade level assessments, OR
(2) are not successful with classroom interventions and/or extended
learning, will be recommended for Intensive Transitional Summer School
and will be placed in Intensive Transitional Reading in the seventh
grade.
Criteria
and Decisions for Grade Eight
There
are two situations that
require decision making for students moving to the ninth grade.
1.
Students who do not demonstrate mastery of the prerequisite
content standards for reading, language arts, and math, as
measured by grade level assessments will be recommended for Intensive
Transitional Summer School and will be placed in an intervention program
in the ninth grade or may be retained at the eighth grade.
2.
Students who do demonstrate mastery in reading, language arts and
math, but who do not pass end-of-course exams in science or history,
will be strongly recommended to attend summer school and pass the failed
end-of-course exams at the end of the summer school course. Students who
do not pass the end-of-course exams in summer school, may be considered
for retention at the eighth grade.
Promotion and
Retention Provisions for Students with Disabilities
To
the extent permitted by law, this policy pertains to all students
including disabled students covered by protections offered by
Individuals with disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and/or Section 504
Rehabilitation 1973. Special education and related services must be
aligned with the general core curriculum and enable a student to master
the expected competencies to the maximum extent appropriate to their
individualized needs. It is important that consideration is given on an
individual basis to the possible accommodations and modifications that a
pupil needs to assist in demonstrating academic progress. Consideration,
planning, and decision making for special education students will be the
responsibility of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team, while
the Student Study Team (SST) will address students identified under
Section 504. If, even with support, the pupil will be unable to meet the
standards due to the nature of severity of the disability, there should
be documentation of individualized promotion standards.
Promotion and Retention Provisions
for English Learners
English
Learners will be promoted through grade levels by:
- Meeting
English Language Development (ELD) Standards as measured by the
state ELD test, and
- Meeting
prerequisite language arts and math content standards, as measured
by the district's grade level assessments
It
is essential for the success of English Learners in all of the district
curriculum that instruction provided be aligned with the student's level
of English proficiency and that necessary and required additional and
appropriate services be provided to them consistently. Mastery in
language arts, including writing, and other core curricular areas will
be measured through curriculum-embedded assessments and yearly expected
benchmark gains established for the STAR tests.
English
Learners at the Beginning Levels
English
Learners who are initially assessed at the beginning levels of English
proficiency (SASI IPT Levels 1-5) will not be considered candidates for
retention during the first two years of enrollment in district programs.
However, these students will be expected to meet established
English language development (ELD) standards approved by the Board of
Education.
English
Learners at the Intermediate and Advanced Levels
English
Learners who are assessed to be at the intermediate and advanced levels
of English proficiency (SASI-IPT Levels 6-10) may be considered for
retention when it is determined that the students have not met the
achievement standards established for English-only students and
the ELD Prerequisite Standards appropriate for the proficiency level and
grade level.
English
Learners at the Fluent/Non-proficient Level (Students
who are above the advanced level and are fluent in English but have not
scored above the 40th percentile on the SAT 9)
English
Learners who are assessed to be at the fluent/non-proficient level (SASI-IPT
Level FN1) may be considered for retention when it is determined that
the students have not met the achievement standards for their grade
levels.
Sacramento
City Unified School District
Reference: Education Code Section 48070.5
Board
of Education Policy 5123
Education Code Section 37252.5
Revision:
2001
Effective: 2000 |
