PROMOTION, PLACEMENT, AND RETENTION | Policy Manual

5410 - PROMOTION, PLACEMENT, AND RETENTION

The Board 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 appropriate for each student's development.

Definitions

Promotion: Occurs when a student is doing the quality of work that indicates the student has met the criteria established in this policy and shall be moved forward to the next grade.

Placement: Occurs when a student is not doing the quality of work that indicates the student shall be promoted to the next grade, but a determination has been made that it is in the student's best interest to move forward to the next grade.

Retention: Occurs when a student is not doing the quality of work that indicates the student should move forward to the next grade, and the student should repeat the current grade.

A student will be promoted to the succeeding grade level when the student has:

completed the course requirements at the presently assigned grade;
in the opinion of the professional staff, achieved the instructional objectives set for the present grade;
demonstrated sufficient proficiency to permit him/her to move ahead in the educational program of the next grade;
demonstrated the degree of social, emotional, and physical maturation necessary for a successful learning experience in the next grade.

For consideration of promotion or retention for students from grade three (3) to grade four (4) with respect to reading, see Policy 5411 - Third Grade Promotion and Retention: At-Risk Students.

Promotion from Grade 4 and Grade 8

Wisconsin State Statute 118.33(6) requires that district are required to address the advancement of students from Grade 4 to Grade 5 and from Grade 8 to Grade 9. Grade advances decisions will be based on the the criteria listed below. For students who parents/guardians opt out of testing, judgment will be based on the other specified criteria. A student shall be promoted from 4th to 5th grade if:

The student score on the Wisconsin Student Assessment System in social students, science, English Language Arts, and mathematics is or exceeds a Basic score in three (3) out of the four (4) subject areas;
The student receives a grade of 2 or higher in 75% of the mathematics and literacy benchmarks by the end of the school year;
The student is making sufficient progress toward grade-level benchmarks through teired levels of student's response to intervention as evidenced by performance on grade level and universal screening assessments and progress monitoring results;
By successfully completing the goals and objectives as outlined in the Individual Education Program, Section 504 Plan, English Language Learners Plan, or At-Risk Plan; or
The Student Study Team may evaluate the student's school development history, formal and informal assessment and data, student's social and emotional maturity, type and quality of instruction being implemented, and the perspectives of parents/guardians and teachers on the student's learning progress.

A student shall be promoted from 8th to 9th grade when the student meets the following criteria:

The student score on the Wisconsin Student Assessment System in social students, science, English Language Arts, and mathematics is or exceeds a Basic score in three (3) out of the four (4) subject areas;
The student must have an overall GPA of 2.00 or better in Reading, Mathematics, and Language Arts in grade 8 and an overall GPA or better based upon grades received in grade 7 and grade 8;
The student is making sufficient progress toward grade-level benchmarks through teired levels of student's response to intervention as evidenced by performance on grade level and universal screening assessments and progress monitoring results;
By successfully completing the goals and objectives as outlined in the Individual Education Program, Section 504 Plan, English Language Learners Plan, or At-Risk Plan; or
The Student Study Team may evaluate the student's school development history, formal and informal assessment and data, student's social and emotional maturity, type and quality of instruction being implemented, and the perspectives of parents/guardians and teachers on the student's learning progress.

Students that do not meet the above criteria will not be promoted to 5th or 9th grade.

Acceleration

Whole Grade Acceleration – Grades K-8

Whole grade acceleration for grades K-8 may be considered for students who exhibit high aptitude levels and have demonstrated high competency levels in multiple academic areas. The Student Study Team shall make the decision to advance a student after careful consideration of all factors influencing the situation.

Single Subject Acceleration

Single subject acceleration may be considered for students who exhibit superior levels of aptitude and have demonstrated high levels of competency in a specific academic area. The following procedures may be considered when single subject acceleration is used:

If single subject acceleration involves a placement decision for a sequential content area, an educational plan shall be created that accommodates the potential for continued implementation beyond the year it is instituted.
Single subject acceleration for middle school students participating at the high school level is intended for students who are implementing an educational plan inclusive of sequential courses that are unavailable at the middle schools, to ensure continuous placement occurs.
At the secondary schools, school counselors will communicate in the spring of each preceding year to determine the number of students and the subject areas involved in middle school students participating in high school courses as part of single subject acceleration.

Request for Consideration

A request for a whole grade or a single subject acceleration may be initiated by the parent(s)/guardian(s) or a staff member. Specifically, a number of steps will be involved in the determination of acceleration. These steps include requests for consideration, assessment and data gathering, convening of the Student Study Team, holding a parent meeting, and determination of appropriate action. Whole grade or single subject acceleration requests for consideration must be made and decisions completed by May 1 of the year prior to the beginning of the subsequent school year.