Below is the Escondido Union School District's New Promotion and Retention Policy
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION
In order to facilitate the best possible development of all students, the certificated staff is expected to place students at the grade level best suited for them academically, socially, and emotionally in accordance with state law, administrative regulations, and procedures.
The Board expects students to progress through each grade within one school year. To accomplish this, instruction should accommodate the varying interests and growth patterns of individual students and include strategies for addressing academic deficiencies.
Promotion
Students shall progress through the school system's grade levels by demonstrating growth in learning and meeting grade-level standards of expected student achievement.
Retention
As early as possible in the school year and in students’ school careers, the superintendent or designee shall identify students who should be retained and who are at risk of being retained in accordance with law, board policy, administrative regulations, and the following criteria:
1.Students shall be identified on the basis of academic performance as measured by: standardized tests, criterion referenced tests, and performance assessments.
2.Students may be referred to the school Student Study Team for discussion and monitoring.
3.When a student is identified as being at risk for retention, the superintendent or designee may provide opportunities for remedial instruction to assist the student in overcoming his/her academic deficiencies.When a student is retained, the superintendent or designee shall provide opportunities for remedial instruction to assist the student in overcoming his/her academic deficiencies.
4.Such opportunities for students already retained or for students at risk of being retained may include but are not limited to tutorial programs, before- and after-school programs, Saturday instruction, summer school programs, and intersessions.
6.Each student's parent/guardian shall be notified and participate in discussions related to retention.
7.The final decision as to retention shall lie with the child’s regular teacher in grades K—5, and with the child’s language arts teacher in grades 6—8, but will be made in collaboration with the Student Study Team.
Students BP 5123(b)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
Acceleration
Acceleration is possible when high academic achievement is evident. However, each student's social and emotional growth shall be taken into consideration before placing him/her in a higher grade level. Prior to the acceleration of any student, the following procedures are recommended:
1.Students may be referred to the school Student Study Team for discussion.
2.Each student's parent/guardian shall be notified and participate in any discussion related to acceleration.
3.The decision to accelerate shall be based upon guidelines established by the district.
4.The final recommendation shall lie with the school principal in conjunction with parental approval.
Appeal Process
A process through which the decision of the teacher to retain or promote a pupil may be appealed. If an appeal is made, the burden shall be on the appealing party to show why the decision of the teacher should be overruled.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
37252.5 Retained pupils in grades 2 to 9; supplemental instruction; time of offerings; funding
48070 Promotion and retention
48070.5 Promotion or retention of pupils; creation of policy
48011 Admission on completing kindergarten; grade placement or pupils coming
from other districts
48431.6 Required systematic review of students and grading
49067 Each governing board shall prescribe regulations regarding pupil's achievement
51215 Proficiency standards in basic skills
Students AR 5123 (a)
PROMOTION/ RETENTION/ACCELERATION
The school provides instruction, guidance, and materials necessary for a meaningful and useful education. It is the student's responsibility to attend school, make every possible effort to learn, and to be self-disciplined. Parents/guardians are encouraged to support and monitor their child's progress and initiate communications with the classroom teacher or principal if and when questions arise.
Promotion
Academic promotion should be a meaningful accomplishment and shall be determined by the age, maturation, and social development of the student and should reflect the following criteria:
1.Performance.
2.Academic grades.
3.Assessment results.
4.Mastery of grade-level standards as determined by district curriculum or a minimum of one year’s growth as reflected on the NWEA.
Notification of Promotion
Promotion will be indicated on the final report card.
Retention at Specific Grade Levels
The superintendent or designee shall identify students who should be retained or who are at risk of being retained at the following grade levels (Education Code 48070.5):
Between grades 2 and 3
Between grades 3 and 4
Between grades 4 and 5
Between grades 5 and 6
Between grades 8 and 9
Students between grades 2 and 3 and grades 3 and 4 shall be identified primarily on the basis of their level of proficiency in reading. Proficiency in reading, English language arts, and
Students AR 5123 (b)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
mathematics shall be the basis for identifying students between grades 4 and 5, 5 and 6, and 8 and 9. (Education Code 48070.5)
Retention at Other Grade Levels
The superintendent or designee may identify students who should be retained or who are at risk of being retained at the following other grade levels:
Between grades kindergarten and 1
Between grades 1 and 2
Between grades 6 and 7
Between grades 7 and 8
Retention Criteria
A student is identified as performing below the minimum standard for promotion using the following criteria:
Kindergarten to First Grade
As indicated on the EUSD third trimester Kindergarten Report Card:
Academic
Letter Recognition — X (area of concern) or 3 (beginning)
Letter Sound Recognition — X (area of concern) or 3 (beginning)
Writing — Level 1 or 2
Social Development
Demonstrated difficulty with Work Habits and Social Development
X (area of concern) or 3 (beginning) in three or more areas
Absences
8 or more absences per trimester; or 24 or more total for the year
Other
If a student is being considered for retention, the "Light’s Retention Scale" guidelines may be used.
Students AR 5123 (c)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
Students who have completed one year of kindergarten shall be admitted to first grade unless the parent/guardian and the district agree that the student shall continue in kindergarten for not more than one additional school year. (Education Code 48011)
Whenever a student continues in kindergarten for an additional year, the superintendent or designee shall secure an agreement, signed by the parent/guardian, stating that the student shall continue in kindergarten for not more than one additional school year. (Education Code 46300)
First to Second Grade
Academic
Reading Running Record — Level 6 or below
Writing Rubric — 1 or 2
Social Development
October or November birth date
Demonstrated lack of problem solving skills and independence as indicated by 2 or more areas marked Needs Improvement on the Behavior and Work Habits section of the EUSD report card.
Absences
8 or more absences per trimester; 24 or more total for the year
Other
If a student is being considered for retention, the "Light’s Retention Scale" guidelines may be used.
Second to Third Grade — Reading proficiency emphasized
Reading Running Record — Level 14 or below
Report card grades based on language arts standards — 1 or 2
Absences: 8 or more absences per trimester; 24 or more total for the year
Third to Fourth Grade — Reading proficiency emphasized
Reading Running Record — level 24 or below
Report card grades based on language arts standards — 1 or 2
Students ?AR 5123 (d)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
NWEA — RIT Score
SAT9 — Stanine 3 or below
Absences: 8 or more absences per trimester; 24 or more total for the year
Fourth to Fifth Grade/Fifth to Sixth Grade
Reading
Jerry Johns Reading Inventory — More than one year below grade level
Report card grades based on language arts standards — 1 or 2/D or F
SAT9 — Stanine 3 or below
English Language Arts
Writing Rubric Score — 1 or 2
SAT9 — Stanine 3 or below
Math
Criterion Reference Test — below grade level
SAT9 — Stanine 3 or below
Other
Sixth to Seventh Grade/Seventh to Eighth Grade
English Language Arts
Jerry Johns Reading Inventory — More than one year below grade level
Writing Rubric Score — 1 or 2
SAT9 — Stanine 3 or below
Math
Criterion Reference Test — below grade level
SAT9 — Stanine 3 or below
Other
Students AR 5123 (e)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
Any two or more of the above indicators for students in grades 4 through 7 identify a student as at risk of being retained.
Student portfolios containing student work throughout the school year reflecting below grade level work based on multiple measures criteria should be kept by the regular classroom teacher (grades K through 5), or the language arts teacher (grades 6 through 7), and brought to any parent conferences or Student Study Team meetings.
Eighth to Ninth Grade
Any of the criteria used in sixth and seventh grade can be used to identify any eighth-grade students as at risk of being retained.
The high school district will use the SAT9 test scores from spring of the seventh-grade year to determine whether a student needs to attend "Basic Skills Immersion Program" in the summer as a condition of full access to high school.
English Language Learners
While English language learners may be considered at risk of being retained, those who earn an English Woodcock-Muñoz score of 2.5 or below may not actually be retained except for reasons of emotional or social maturity. Interventions for students who are identified as at risk of being retained will include, but are not limited to, supplementary, accelerated ELD instruction, or specialized English language instruction.
English language learners who earn a English Woodcock-Muñoz score of 3.0 or above may be retained if, after a full year of specialized English language development, less than one year’s growth is demonstrated in both English Language Development and core academics.
English language learners will be identified as performing below the minimum standard for promotion using the following criteria:
Demonstrating less than one year’s English Language Development growth on the Woodcock-Language Survey, and /or Hampton Brown, Scholastic, or Heinle & Heinle assessments (as appropriate).
One year’s growth on the Woodcock-Muñoz will be measured by total raw points. The following scores represent the minimum number considered acceptable for one full year of appropriate instruction:
Students AR 5123 (f)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
Kindergarten through 4th grades = 14 points
5th and 6th grades = 12 points
7th grade = 10 points
8th grade = 8 points
One year’s growth for other English Language Development assessment instruments is defined by each instrument.
Demonstrating less than one year’s growth on SAT9, NWEA, and/or grade-level multiple measures.
Special Education Students
Students with disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) should generally not be retained if the assessed deficits in academic, social, communication, or motor development are the result of the identified disability. The educational needs of these students are appropriately addressed through the IEP (Individual Education Program) process with special education support and modifications of the general education program. The final decision on retention of an identified special education student rests with the IEP team of which the regular education teacher is a participating member.
Participation in the general education remedial program for at-risk students may be an appropriate intervention for some IDEA eligible students who are in general education programs for the majority of the school day.
Retention Recommendation
If a student is identified as performing below the minimum standard for promotion, the student shall be retained in his/her current grade level unless the student’s regular classroom teacher determines, in writing, that retention is not the appropriate intervention for the student’s academic deficiencies. This determination shall specify the reasons that retention is not appropriate for the student and shall include recommendations for interventions other than retention that, in the opinion of the teacher, are necessary to assist the student in attaining acceptable levels of academic achievement. (Education Code 48070.5)
If the teacher’s recommendation to promote is contingent on the student’s participation in a summer school or intersession program, as discussed by the site administrator, the parent and the recommending teacher, the student must achieve a C grade or better, or the equivalent thereof, at the completion of the remediation program, or the student will be retained. (Education Code 48070.5)
Students AR 5123 (g)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
Other factors a teacher may use to assist with the determination to not retain a student include whether a child has been previously retained; the age and maturity level of the student; and if the student’s performance is below grade level but the student is working to the best of his/her intellectual ability.
Appeal Process
The decision to promote or retain a student may be appealed consistent with Board policy, administrative procedure and law.
The burden shall be on the appealing party to show why the decision should be overruled. (Education Code 48070.5)
To appeal a decision, the appealing party shall submit a written request to the superintendent or designee specifying the reasons why the decision should be overruled.
The appeal must be initiated within ten school days of the determination of retention or promotion.
The teacher shall be provided an opportunity to state orally and in writing the criteria on which his/her decision was based.
Within ten days of receiving the request, the superintendent or designee shall determine whether or not to overrule the original decision. Prior to making this determination, the superintendent or designee may meet with the appealing party and the teacher. If the superintendent or designee determines that the appealing party has overwhelmingly proven that the original decision should be overruled, he/she shall overrule that decision.
Remedial Instruction
With parental consent, the superintendent or designee may require a student who has been recommended for retention or has been identified as at risk of being retained to participate in a supplemental instructional program. Such programs shall be offered during the summer, before or after school, on Saturdays and/or during intersessions. Services shall not be provided during the regular instructional day if it would result in the student being removed from classroom instruction in the core curriculum. These services shall be provided to students in the following priority order: (Education Code 37252.5)
Students AR 5123 (h)
PROMOTION/RETENTION/ACCELERATION (continued)
Students who have been recommended for retention or who have been retained previously.
Students who have been identified as at risk of being retained.
Students who have been identified as having a deficiency in mathematics, reading or written expression based on the results of the tests administered under the STAR program.
Acceleration
To better meet the instructional needs of the academically and socially advanced student, acceleration may be advisable if the following criteria are met:
1.District assessment measures indicate that the student is performing at least two years above grade level in all academic areas.
The student's potential, present capabilities, and attitude toward acceleration allows him/her to perform successfully at the advanced level.
3.The student's physical, social, and emotional maturity warrants acceleration.
4.The student has passed all district promotion criteria for the grade level to be skipped.
5.Acceleration is mutually supported by teachers, psychologists, guidance team, principal, parents/guardians, and students, when appropriate.