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.

Such pattern should coincide with the system of grade levels established by this Board and the instructional objectives established for each.

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 AG 5410 - Promotion, Placement, and Retention 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. A placement determination is made by the Principal.

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 retention decision is made by the Principal with the concurrence of the Principal.

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

1. completed the course requirements at the presently assigned grade;
2. in the opinion of the professional staff, achieved the instructional objectives set for the present grade;
3. demonstrated sufficient proficiency to permit him/her to move ahead in the educational program of the next grade;
4. 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.

Following sound principles of child guidance, the Board discourages the skipping of grades.

The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for promotion, placement, and retention of students which:

1. ensure students who are falling seriously behind their peers or who may not be promoted receive the special assistance they may need to achieve the academic outcomes of the District's core curriculum;
2. require the recommendation of the relevant staff members for promotion, placement, or retention;
3. require that parents are informed in advance of the possibility of retention of a student at a grade level;
4. assure that efforts are made to remediate the student's difficulties before the student is retained;
5. assign to the principal the final responsibility for determining the promotion, placement, or retention of each student.

Promotion from Grade 4 and Grade 8

Students in grades 4 and 8 will be promoted if they score at least at the "Approaching" level on all of the subtests of the Wisconsin statewide grade 4 or grade 8 assessment, respectively.

If a student scores at the "Developing" level on one or more subtests of the Wisconsin statewide grade 4 or grade 8 assessment, or if the student was excused from taking the assessment, or if the District has not yet received individual student scores for grade 4 or grade 8 students by May 1, then the promotion decision will be based on the student’s grade 4 or grade 8 academic performance. A grade 4 student who has demonstrated satisfactory grade level achievement in the subtest areas as evidenced by a passing grade in each of the subtest areas will be promoted to grade 5. A grade 8 student who has demonstrated satisfactory grade level achievement in the subtest areas as evidenced by a passing grade in each of the subtest areas will be promoted to grade 9.

If a student has not demonstrated satisfactory grade level achievement in the subtest areas as evidenced by a report card grade as indicated above in each of the subtest areas, then the promotion decision will be based on recommendations of teachers which are based solely on the student’s academic performance. The Principal will convene a meeting of the child's teacher(s), school counselor, Principal, and any others who the Principal believes may contribute to the promotion determination. The assembled promotion team will receive the teacher’s recommendation which shall be based on academic indications such as prior classroom, District, and statewide assessment scores, the student's academic progress, portfolio, or any other measures of the student's ability or achievement deemed to be appropriate. After the teacher’s recommendation is provided and any further analysis or discussion is considered, the team will either endorse the teacher’s decision regarding promotion or make an alternate recommendation to the Principal.

If the promotion team makes an alternate recommendation to the Principal, then the Principal shall make the promotion decision based on the best interests of the child. Contingent conditions (e.g., summer school performance, tutoring, online coursework) may be part of the Principal’s promotion decision.

Appeal Process

Any person appealing a decision regarding promotion to grade five or grade nine under this policy shall submit a written appeal to the Superintendent within five (5) business days of notification. The person must state in writing the portion of this policy they believe was administered in error including the reasons supporting that belief and the proposed remedy for the alleged error.

The Superintendent will meet with the parties involved and will issue a written decision within ten (10) business days. The decision of the Superintendent is final.

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