524 Policy: Promotion, Retention and Acceleration

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to professional staff, families and students regarding student promotion, retention, and acceleration.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

Because the public schools of the District are dedicated to the best total and continuous development of each student enrolled, the professional staff is expected to place students at the instructional level for which they are best suited academically, socially and emotionally.

III. DEFINITIONS

A. Promotion

Promotion is the system of students moving from grade level to the next grade level in school.

B. Retention

Retention is the practice of repeating an academic year of school.

C. Acceleration

Acceleration is the practice of moving students through traditional curriculum at a rate faster than is typical.  Acceleration can include single subject acceleration (e.g. learning fifth grade math as a fourth grader), grade skipping (e.g. going from first to third grade), early entrance to kindergarten, compacted curriculum or classes (e.g. learning all sixth grade math standards and half of seventh grade math standards in a single year), or college-credit bearing courses at high school (e.g. College in the Schools, Advanced Placement).

D. Twice-exceptional

The term “twice-exceptional”, also referred to as 2E, is used to describe gifted children who have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement, and who also give evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria (National Association of Gifted Children [NAGC]).

IV. PROGRAM DESIGN

A. Students will normally progress annually from grade to grade through achievement or by meeting the goals set in a special education program and described in the considered when, in the judgment of the professional staff, such decisions are in the best educational interest of the pupils involved.  Any consideration for retention or acceleration will involve consultation with the student's parent/guardian and the professional staff, but the final decision will rest with the school administration.  The Superintendent is directed to establish regulations for retention or acceleration of students to insure the required consultation with parents/guardians and the necessary involvement of various professional staff members leading to such decisions.

B. The School District will develop guidelines for assessing and identifying students for participation in gifted and talented programs.  The guidelines will include the use of multiple objective criteria; assessments that are based on current theory and research; assessments and procedures that are sensitive to historically under-represented groups including, but not limited to, students of color, English learners, students of limited economic means, and twice-exceptional students.

RATIFIED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION:  April 7, 1997

REAFFIRMED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION: 

• December 17, 2001
• May 1, 2017

CROSS REFERENCE:

• Board Policy 501 - Initial Entrance into the School System

REVISED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION: November 18, 2019