TANNEHILL

PROMOTION AND RETENTION

The Tannehill Board of Education believes the primary goal of the educa­tional process is to educate.  The board also believes that since each child develops physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially at an individual rate, not all children will complete twelve grade levels of work at the same rate.  Therefore, for some children, more than twelve years of public education are necessary to achieve the minimal standards of an appropriate education.

Students in special education are excluded from this policy and will be advanced or retained in accordance with their Individual Educational Program as created by their IEP team.

Grade level placement in the elementary and in the junior high school will be based upon the child's maturity (emo­tional, social, mental, and physical), chronological age, school attendance, effort, and marks achieved.  Standardized test results can be used as one means of judging progress.  The grade marks earned by the child throughout the year shall reflect the probable assignment for the coming year.  Assignment of grade marks will not be used as a means of discipline or reward under any circumstances.

Whenever a teacher or a placement committee recommends that a student be retained at the present grade level or not receive a passing grade in a course; the parent(s) or guardian, if dissatisfied with the recommendation, may appeal the decision by com­plying with the district’s appeal process.  The decision of the board of education shall be final.  The parent(s) or guardian may pre­pare a written statement to be placed in and become a part of the permanent record of the student stating the parent(s)’s or guardian’s reason(s) for disagreeing with the decision of the board.

A grade mark on a report card at the end of the grading period shall not fulfill the teacher's responsibility in report­ing a child's progress to the child’s parent(s) or guardian.  Informal notes and personal conferences are necessary to help the teacher and the parent(s) or guardian understand the child's development and progress.  The parent(s) or guardian shall be informed, and a conference scheduled if the parent(s) or guardian desire, when it becomes apparent that a child may need to remain at a grade level.

Upon request of the student, or the student’s parent(s) or guardian, a student who has been recommended for retention, is failing a grade, or seeks advancement will be given the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in the Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS) for the applicable grade level or course.  Proficiency will be demonstrated by some means of assessment or evalua­tion appropriate to the curriculum area, for example:  semester test, portfolio, criterion-referenced test, thesis, project, product, or performance.  (See also policy EIAE.)

Students demonstrating proficiency in a set of competencies at the 60% level shall be advanced to the next level of study in the ap­propriate curriculum area(s).  This decision will take into con­sideration such factors as social, emo­tional, physical, and mental growth.  The school will confer with parents or guardians in making such promotion/acceleration decisions.

Elementary, middle level, or high school students may demonstrate proficiency in the PASS Outcomes for grades 9-12 high school curriculum areas.  Appropriate notation will be placed on the high school transcript.  The unit(s) shall count toward meet­ing the requirements for the high school diploma.

REFERENCE:    70 O.S. §24-114.1

                                70 O.S. §11-103.6