RECOMMENDED UPDATES 2014 PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN

January 2014


PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN 2014 - RECOMMENDED UPDATES

After a review by subcommittees of elementary, middle, high, as well as the committee as a whole, the following recommendations for change in the Pupil Progression Plan are presented.

Changes are made in format, grammar, and typographical errors throughout the document. Content changes comply with state mandated requirements promulgated by BESE and the Louisiana Department of Education.

CURRENT DOCUMENT / RECOMMENDED AREAS
Section 1. B: Transfer Students
Students expelled from a public or private school shall not earn credit for the remainder of the school year through home school or non-accredited school programs.
Placement tests are administered to transfer students, if applicable. Terra Nova Test, Edgenuity Course Test, District-created Mastery Test (e20/20), and tests generated by e20/20.
Section 1. C: Limited English Proficient Students
Each principal/school counselor will submit a copy of the home language survey to the LEP/English as a second language (ESL) coordinator. The counselor and the district’s ESL Program staff will offer further screening as needed.
Section 1. D: Review of Placement
Requests for individual reviews will be initiated in accordance with the guidelines numerated in Due Process Policies and the “Section 504 Policy and Procedural Manual”.
Section II. Attendance Policy
Elementary students are required to be present a minimum of one hundred sixty-seven days (167) per school year and high school students to be in attendance eighty three and one-half (83.5) days or the equivalent per semester course, or one hundred sixty-seven (167) days a school year for schools not operating on a semester basis, in order to be eligible to receive credit for courses taken.
Make-up Work
The teacher who will give the make-up work will decide on the scheduling of the work on any day after the return day, but within five (5) days after the student returns to school.
Section III. Promotion K-8
A.  Requirements of the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program
C. Elementary Program of Studies
Requirements
In determining placement, the SBLC/Health and Wellness Team will give consideration to overall class performance (state test scores, class participation, attitude, study and work habits).
Section IV. Promotion 9-12
A.  Carnegie Credit and Credit Flexibility
Section V. Retention Policy
Section VIII. Alternative Schools/Programs/ Settings / Remove- (Rationale: students may earn credit when expelled.)
Three tests were added: Edgenuity Course Test, District-created Mastery Test (e20/20), and tests generated by e20/20.
Remove – replace with:
The district’s home Language Survey shall identify any student whose home language or first language is other than English. A copy of the Home Language Survey for each student will be submitted to the district’s ESL Program staff to indicate a need for further screening.
Add :
·  If the parent of a LEP student whose language is other than Spanish accepts ESL services for the student, instruction will be provided by an ESL-certified teacher. It is preferable, but not required, that the ESL teacher has language skills sufficient to communicate with the students in the child’s native language.
·  If the parent of a Spanish-speaking LEP student accepts ESL services for the student, the parent has the choice to enroll his child in a sheltered ESL program or in a two-way English/Spanish immersion pathway.
Remove – Replace with:
School Site administrators and their designee shall hold a Health and Wellness meeting, collect written statements from the parent or guardian and student as to the circumstances leading to the change of placement decision. The recommended change of placement must be included in the Health & Wellness recommendation.
The District Health & Wellness Placement Committee will review the recommendation and notify the school of the decision within seven (7) school days.
Remove – Prior language from Bulletin 741
Replace with current language in Bulletin 741:
Elementary students shall be in attendance a minimum of 167 six-hour days or 60,120 minutes a school year. In order to be eligible to receive grades, high school students shall be in attendance a minimum of 30,060 minutes(equivalent to 83.5 sic-hour school days) per semester or 60,120 minutes (equivalent to 167 six-hour school days) a school year for schools not operating on a semester basis.
Changed to seven (7) days
Where reference is made to SBLC, “Health and Wellness Team” is added.
Add:
Promotion and retention policies for students eligible to take LEAP Alternative Assessment and working toward a Certificate of Achievement are outlined below.
Students may be promoted to 5th grade if 12 by September 30th.
Students may be promoted to 9th grade if 16 by September 30th.
September 30th is the date to be used to enter 9th grade but after entering high school, the age at the first day of school will determine grade placement.
(a promotion chart has been added)
Remove:
class participation, attitude, and study and work habits
(Rationale: there are no subjective measures for these areas)
Add:
Grades K-4: In electives that meet once per week, students shall have no fewer than five (5) grades per nine-week period per elective.
Add:
World Language Immersion Pathways
Students will be taught in English and taught in the target language, and will align with ELA standards and instruction in order for the immersion schedule to respect minimum immersion time guidelines from the Department of Education.
Add:
4th and 8th grade Transitional Waiver guidelines for 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years.
Add:
Students will be issued a letter grade based upon their performance on the proficiency exam in accordance with the parish grading scale.
Add:
Students must earn 23 Carnegie units for a Career Diploma and 24 Carnegie units for a Core 4 or Basic Core Diploma.
Add:
New legislation for the grading of Advance Placement, International Baccalaureate, Core 4 Gifted Courses, and Dual Enrollment Courses -
In order to align the calculation of grade point averages with Act 359, beginning with the 2014-15 school year and thereafter, the calculation of the minimum cumulative grade point average shall utilize a five-point scale for grades earned in AP, IB, Core 4 Gifted, and Core 4 Dual Enrollment courses. For such courses, five quality points will be assigned to a letter grade of “A”, four quality points assigned to a letter grade of “B”, three quality points will be assigned to a letter grade of “C”, two quality points assigned to a grade of “D”, and zero points assigned to a grade of “F”.
Add:
eCampus – To earn a Carnegie unit, a student must successfully complete the course by the deadline date established by the facilitator. A course is only considered complete when Coursewhere indicates 100% student progress rate. Grading is based on the LPSS grading system.
A student may withdraw from the course without penalty within the first three weeks after beginning the course. Students will be given a maximum of five (5) months to complete a course. An extension may be granted if extenuating circumstances exist. A student must complete at least one quiz per day (1 hour). Students who do not login to their courses for five (5) or more consecutive days will be contacted by an interventionist for counseling.
If the overall grade falls below 70% or course progress monitor falls behind by 15% or greater, a student will be required to meet with an interventionist and attend a minimum of five hours at the eCampus lab per week until their progress monitor indicates “On Target”. Failure to attend will result in the course being disabled.
Add: (grades K-12)
The SBLC/Health & Wellness Team is a committee of educators and those persons knowledgeable about a student, and is a requirement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This team shall be composed of a building administrator, counselor, and a regular education teacher. Others, including the child’s teacher(s), parents, a special education teacher or special education supervisor, or any other involved professional may be included on the committee, when necessary.
Add:
Students in traditional high school settings will be referred to the district health/wellness team for recommendation to move to adult education.