North Fork Local School District

Administrative Guidelines

5410 -

PROMOTION, PLACEMENT, AND RETENTION

Optimal school achievement is obtained when students experience success in their daily activities and build upon successful experiences as they encounter new learning situations. All aspects of the student must be considered as grade placements are made.

DEFINITIONS

	A.	Promotion:
		Occurs when a student is doing the caliber of work (grade level) that indicates the student has met the criteria stated below.
	B.	Placement:
		Occurs when a student is not doing the caliber of work that indicates the student should be promoted to the next grade. However, the Student Intervention Team recommends and the building administrator concurs, that it is in the student's best interest to move to the next grade.
	C.	Retention:
		Occurs when a student is not doing the caliber of work that indicates the student should be promoted to the next grade, based on the recommendation of the Student Intervention Team with the concurrence of the building administrator.
	D.	Intervention Assistance Team:
		An Intervention Assistance Team is to be appointed by the principal each year to consider situations in which students may not be promoted to the next grade or may not graduate. Such a team may include classroom teachers, counselors and other support staff, building principal, and/or parents.

Final decisions on student promotion, placement, or retention rest with the building principal.

To implement Board policy, the following guidelines are to be utilized:

Elementary Level

	A.	Criteria for Consideration
		When the Intervention Assistance Team is convened, the following criteria shall be considered:

		1.	current level of achievement
		2.	potential for success at the next level
		3.	emotional, physical, social maturity

Time Line for Elementary Grade Placement Changes

		1.	Before Parent/Teacher Conference: Principal will review grade placement procedures with teachers.
		2.	Early April: If placement or retention is still being considered, parents should be notified by this time and commitment to the decision secured.
		3.	May-June: Decision on placement or retention is made and student Grade Placement Recommendation is completed.

Junior High School Level

Criteria

		1.	To be promoted the student must successfully complete a majority of the required academic subjects.
		2.	Failure to complete the requirements for English at grade eight may result in placement at the high school in Intervention English.

Time Line for Junior High School Grade Placement

		1.	Before Parent/Teacher Conferences: Principal will review, with teachers, grade placement procedure.
		2.	Early April: If placement or retention is still being considered, parents should be notified by this time and commitment to the decision secured.
		3.	May-June: Decision on placement or retention is made and student Grade Placement Recommendation is completed.

High School Level

	A.	Criteria
		For the official records, student class placement will be determined in the following manner:
		Less than 4 credits = Freshman
		4 credits to less than 8 credits = Sophomore
		8 credits to less than 12 credits = Junior
		12 credits = Senior
	B.	Students enrolling from schools having different graduation requirements will have their credits pro-rated for class placement.
	C.	All incoming students will be informed of these requirements at the time of admission.