• Elementary
  • Middle
  • High

KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE FIVE

All students in kindergarten through grade 5 are expected to demonstrate proficiency on the Standards of Learning (SOL) objectives for their respective grades in the core content areas of English, mathematics, history/social science, and science. Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory performance may be retained in their current grade placement. In this case, a student intervention team (SIT) meeting must be held within the first month of the new school year to develop a retention intervention plan.

GRADES THREE, FOUR AND FIVE ONLY

Students who demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance and achieve at the proficient level on English and mathematics SOL assessments will be promoted.

Students who demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance, pass one SOL assessment and achieve SOL assessment scores that fall just below the proficient level in English and mathematics will be promoted and may be required to participate in an SOL intervention program.

Students who demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance and fail to achieve at the proficient level on the SOL assessments in English and mathematics may receive a provisional promotion contingent upon attendance and satisfactory performance in summer school and/or intersessions.

Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory performance, yet achieve at the proficient level on the SOL assessments in English and mathematics may be awarded a provisional promotion and must be reviewed by the school’s student intervention team (SIT) within the first month of the new school year. The student may be required to attend and demonstrate satisfactory performance in summer school and/or intersessions or other interventions programs.

Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance and fail to achieve at the proficient level on the SOL assessments in English and mathematics will be retained. A SIT meeting must be held within the first month of the new school year to develop a retention intervention plan.

Students who do not pass any of the SOL assessments in grades three, four and five must attend summer school or intersession or participate in an intervention program as required.

Parent Notification

Parents will be kept informed of their child’s academic progress through a variety of avenues including, but not limited to, quarterly progress reports and report cards, parent teacher conferences, graded assignments sent for review on a regular cycle, notes and telephone calls. Additionally, parents of students not meeting grade level expectations will be notified at a parent teacher conference and in writing. Such notification will be made at the following intervals:

1. end of the first grading period;
2. end of the first semester;
3. by March 1st possible retention will be documented; and
4. no later than 10 calendar days prior to the last day of school notification of final retention will be communicated with the exception of grades three, four and five. Final retention notification for students in grades three and five will be made within three working days of receipt of the SOL assessment results.

Right to Appeal

1. To the Principal – Parents may appeal the recommendation to retain their child in his/her current grade placement. The request for the appeal must be made in writing to the principal. This request should be made within five (5) working days of receipt of notification of retention. The principal will respond to the parent within five (5) working days of receipt of appeal.

2. To Regional Director – Parents may appeal the decision of the principal. The appeal must be made in writing to the Regional Director of Elementary Education and received no later than June 30 of the current school year.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMOTION AND RETENTION POLICY

Students in grades six through eight who demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance in the four core content areas of English, mathematics, history/social science, and science, plus a minimum of one elective course and achieve at the proficient level on the English and mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments will be promoted.

Students who demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance and fail to achieve at the proficient level on the English and mathematics SOL assessments will be promoted and required to attend and demonstrate satisfactory performance in summer school or another intervention program as approved by the Principal.

Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory performance in one of the four core content areas plus one elective course may be awarded a provisional promotion. The Principal will consider student performance on Standards of Learning assessments in making the decision to award a provisional promotion. The student will be required to attend and demonstrate satisfactory performance in summer school or another intervention program as approved by the Principal. The school’s Student Intervention Team (SIT) must review the student’s classroom performance within the first month of the new school year to develop a retention intervention plan. Students must attend interventions as outlined by the SIT Team.

Students who do not demonstrate satisfactory classroom performance and fail to achieve at the proficient level on the SOL assessments in the core content areas of English, mathematics, history/social science, and science will be retained. A SIT meeting must be held within the first month of the new school year.

Students who do not pass any of the SOL assessments in grades six through eight must attend summer school or participate in an intervention program as required.

Middle school students will be eligible for one provisional promotion. The Principal may grant an additional provisional promotion when there are extenuating circumstances.

Students with disabilities attain promotion in accordance with the goals, accommodations, and impact of the disability defined in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) when not on an SOL curriculum.

Students with accommodations through 504 plans are provided access to the general curriculum and therefore are required to meet promotion criteria for their respective grade levels.

PARENT NOTIFICATION
Parents will be kept informed of their child’s academic progress through a variety of avenues including, but not limited to, quarterly progress reports and report cards, parent teacher conferences, graded assignments sent for review on a regular cycle, electronic communication as appropriate, notes and telephone calls. Additionally, parents of students not meeting grade level expectations will be notified at a parent teacher conference and in writing. Such notification will be made at the following intervals:
1. End of the first grading period;
2. End of the first semester;
3. By March 1st possible retention will be documented; and
4. No later than 10 calendar days prior to the last day of school notification of final retention will be communicated.

RIGHT TO APPEAL
1. To the Principal – Parents may appeal the decision to retain their child in the current grade placement. The request for the appeal must be made in writing to the Principal. This request should be made within five (5) working days of receipt of notification of retention. The Principal will respond to the parent within five (5) working days of receipt of appeal.
2. To the Executive director of Secondary School Leadership – Parents may appeal the decision of the Principal. The appeal must be made in writing to the Executive Director of Secondary School Leadership within five (5) working days of receipt of the Principal’s decision.

High School
Promotion and retention in the high schools is based upon the student’s academic achievement as reflected by the number of standard and verified*** credits earned. In order to graduate from high school, a student must earn 22 standard credits and 6 verified credits for a standard diploma and 24 standard credits and 9 verified credits for an advanced diploma.

Promotion from grade to grade within the high school requires that a student earn credit as follows:

from grades 9 to 10
5 CREDITS
1 English
1 Additional Core Credit**
3 Others
Earn 1 verified credit***

from grades 10 to 11
10 CREDITS
2 English
1 Math
1 Science
1 Social Studies
1 Additional Core Credit
4 Others
Earn 2 verified credits***

from grades 11 to 12
16 CREDITS
3 English
2 Math
2 Science
2 Social Studies
1 Additional Core Credit
6 Others
Earn 4 verified credits***

** A Core Credit Class is defined as any course from math, science, social studies, or English which satisfies a graduation requirement from that discipline.

***Verified credits are earned by achieving passing scores on end of course SOL tests and successful completion of the courses associated with the SOL tests.

In the spring, parents will be notified by the guidance counselor if retention is indicated by an academic deficiency. If attending summer school will remedy this deficiency, notification will occur prior to the opening of summer school.*

*Note: Requirements are tallied as of September of each year. Promotion eligibility is finalized after summer school. Summer school is considered to be a continuation of the previous school year, not the beginning of a new year