Student Promotion and Retention
CHAPTER 5.00 - STUDENTS
STUDENT PROMOTION AND RETENTION5.26
Grades K-6
The process of making decisions as to promotion and retention of elementary students should take into consideration a variety of factors including age, maturity, motor coordination, capacity for learning, and academic progress. The determination process should involve the principal and teacher(s) with the authority for determining promotion and retention resting entirely with the teacher(s) and principal, except that a kindergarten student may be retained only upon approval/agreement of the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s).
No student will be recommended for retention unless their case has been presented to the Building Based School Support Team (BBSST). Any teacher recommending retention must document using BBSST strategies and their results.
If a student needs to be retained based on the teacher’s professional judgment of the student’s academic performance and/or other factors, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that student would be informed as early in the school year as possible. In all cases, the decision of whether a student should be promoted or retained shall be made on the basis of which grade placement provides the student a better chance of progressing in his/her educational development.
Grades 7-8
Students enrolled in grades seven (7) or eight (8) must pass a combined total of six semesters of core courses (math, English, science, social studies) each year in order to be promoted to the next higher grade. Included in the combined total of six semesters of core courses, the student must pass two semesters of English and two semesters of math.
Students who do not pass the combined total of six (6) semesters of core courses each year will be retained at their current grade level for the next school year unless they successfully meet the requirements in an approved summer school program.
Placements: If a student is retained twice in grades seven (7) or eight (8) he/she may be placed in the next higher grade level upon teacher recommendation(s) and the approval of the principal. A possible referral for evaluation for special education would be recommended.
Grades 9-12
For students to be permitted to move to the next higher grade level, the following standards must be met:
Ninth Grade - students who have passed at least the combined total of six semesters of core subjects for the eighth grade, which includes two semesters of English and two semesters of math, will be promoted and classified as ninth graders.
Tenth Grade – students who have earned four (4) Carnegie units will be classified as tenth graders.
Eleventh Grade - students who have earned ten (10) Carnegie units will be classified as eleventh graders.
Twelfth Grade – students who have earned sixteen (16) Carnegie units, three of which must be English, will be classified as twelfth graders.
Summer School Options
A student who does not pass coursework in a logical and sequential order should be strongly encouraged to attend an approved summer school to earn the required Carnegie unit(s) necessary for orderly progression through the courses required for graduation.
Grades 7-8 Summer School Credit
When a student in grades seven (7) or eight (8) fails to achieve a final semester passing grade average, the coursework must be retaken on a semester-by-semester basis. If the coursework is retaken in summer school, pass/fail shall be determined by the summer school semester grade only. Example: no averaging of summer school grades with regular school academic year grades.
Grades 9-12 Summer School Credit
When a student in grades 9-12 fails to achieve a final semester passing grade for a full Carnegie unit course or a half Carnegie unit course, the coursework must be retaken on a semester-by-basis. If the coursework is retaken in summer school, pass/fail shall be determined by the summer school semester grade only. Example: no averaging of summer school grades with regular academic year grades.
English Requirement – Grades 9-12
A student in grades 9-12 must make satisfactory progress by passing courses in a logical and sequential fashion. Example: ninth grade English before tenth grade English.
Special Education Students
Promotion of any student in a special education program, with the exception of gifted students, must be based on his/her accomplishments of goals stated in the IEP in conjunction with all other regular program requirements. However, a special education student (except gifted) may not be placed at any grade level unless the student has attended school for a commensurate number of years equal to the proposed grade placement; i.e., for a special education student to be placed at the sixth (6th) grade level, he/she must have been enrolled in school for at least five (5) years.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:CODE OF ALABAMA
16-1-30
LAW(S) IMPLEMENTED:CODE OF ALABAMA
16-8-36, 16-8-36, 16-9-22, 16-9-15, 16-11-9
alabama administrative procedure act: §______
HISTORY:ADOPTED:april 11, 1994
REVISION DATE(S):july 10, 2000; november 3, 2008
FORMERLY:IHE, JFAAC
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