Promotion & Retention

Most students in USD 445 will satisfactorily meet the minimum requirements of courses or grades and will automatically be promoted to the next higher grade level. Any proposal made to retain, to double promote, or to assign a student to the next higher grade level without him/her having met the minimum academic requirements, will require a full staffing to include teacher(s), principal, counselor and psychologist, if available, and parents. Decisions from such staffings need to be in written form and signed by all interested parties, when possible. Where there is no consensus decision, the principal(s) has authority to make a final decision based upon consideration of the following criteria:

1. Chronological age.

2. Mental ability as determined by tests plus documentation of teacher's judgment.

3. Academic achievement in all subject areas, especially basic skill mastery, as measured by tests plus documentation of teacher's judgment.

4. Work and study habits.

5. Physical development.

6. Social maturity.

7. Emotional maturity.

8. Interests and degree of initiative shown in curricular and extracurricular activities.

9. Attendance record.

10. Availability of remedial resources.

11. Teaching situation into which the pupil might be placed: e.g., class size, composition of group, etc.

12. Placement of siblings.

13. Future educational and career objectives.

14. No student should spend more than two years at any grade level, nor should any student be retained more than two times in his/her K-6 experience or three times K-8. This includes "Transitional First Grade" and any other interventions, which result in students not entering 9 th grade with the Kindergarten class with which they entered school.

15. Must have had a written student improvement plan for at least eighteen (18) weeks .

16. Must have signed documentation that parents have been involved and/or notified of academic concerns.

17. For all retained students, written student improvement plans are to be developed and maintained through the eighth grade.

These plans are to be reviewed, at least annually, and adjusted as needed for students' success, including consideration of strategies for returning retained students to their entry kindergarten class for high school.  The final decision in any case pertaining to promotion or retention shall rest with the appropriate building principal .