Administrative Procedure 361

STUDENT PROMOTION/RETENTION

Background

The School strives to place all students in the environment that best meets their needs while also considering the needs of the other students. The decision as to retention or promotion of a student rests with the Principal; however, a decision shall not be made without parental consultation and careful consideration for the long range welfare of the student. Generally, an individualized program plan to support inclusive learning and promotion from one grade to the next is the preferred strategy over retention or acceleration of a student.

Procedures

1. The Principal will consider the following when deciding on the placement of students in grades, courses and classes:
1.1 Information gained over time such as achievement on regular assignments and projects, teacher observations, and both local and provincial standardized assessments.
1.2 Factors such as overall academic achievement and skill, age, social adjustment, health, attendance, and cognitive ability.
2. Placements in a regular classroom with similar-age peers is usually the most appropriate.
3. English Language Learners (ELL) shall be placed in age appropriate settings.
4. As a general rule, a student will not be retained for more than one (1) extra year during elementary grades, or not more than one (1) extra year during junior high grades for no more than a single retention throughout the student’s ECS – Grade Nine school years.
5. In the case of a student failing to apply him/herself in a reasonable manner, steps shall be taken frequently to counsel the student with regard to his/her academic performance, attitude or behaviour and to modify the program if necessary to accommodate the student’s learning needs.
6. The Superintendent will be informed of the student placements for retention or promotion. Any recommendation for student acceleration must be approved by the Superintendent.
7. In cases where it becomes apparent that a student may not be ready for promotion at the end of a school year, the parent(s) shall be advised of that possibility at a reasonable time and a discussion of the alternatives undertaken by the Principal, the teacher(s) and the parent(s).
8. The final decision shall be announced by the Principal by the end of the school year, and parents shall be advised of their right to appeal decisions regarding placement or promotion of students.
9. In cases where the student is clearly unable to make reasonable progress in the regular school program the student shall be referred for consideration under special programming (Inclusive Education) as soon as the problem becomes apparent.

References: Sections 196, 197, 222, 225 Education Act
Guide to Education ECS to Grade 12
Ministerial Order 015/2004 – Standards for Special Education Ministerial Order 001/2013 – Student Learning
Ministerial Order – Teaching Quality Standard Repeating a grade: The pros and cons
www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/659-repeating-a-grade.gs?page=all Grade Retention and School
Promotionhttp://www.nasponline.org/about_nasp/positionpapers/GradeRetentionandSocialPromotion.pdf Alternatives to Grade Retentionhttp://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Retention%20WEB.pdf