Promotion and Retention
Promotions
Levels K-5
Decisions to promote or retain a child must be based on academic
achievement and the best interest of the child involved. Factors which
relate to best interest include prognosis for future achievement in a
repeated grade, previous retentions, and chronological age.
Parents or guardians must be informed no later than February 1st of
the current school year if a child's progress indicates that retention may be
necessary. Notification shall be made by written letter and by checking the
area of the county K-6 report card marked "Danger of Retention." Parents
of students who enter school (transfer) after January 1 of the current school
year must be notified of a decision to retain within two months of the date of
transfer.
Building principals must be informed of the decision to retain
individual students. Notification of principals shall be made prior to
notification of parents.
Although parents should be notified and consulted throughout the
school year, final decisions regarding promotion/retention rest with the
school.
Academic achievement shall be reported by skill mastery at levels K
and 1, and by reported grades and reading ability at levels 2 through 5.
Kindergarten Promotion
Promotion at the kindergarten level shall be based on mastery of a
minimum of twenty-two of twenty-three required skills as described in the
Clay County kindergarten progress report card. Successful mastery of the
following skills shall be required for promotion:
Math Skills: (1-2) ability to count orally to twenty; (3) ability to
recognize and name basic shapes (triangle, circle, square, rectangle); (4)
understanding of one to one correspondence; (5) ability to identify sets with
same, more or less; (6-7) sight recognition of the numerals one zero to
twelve; (8-9) ability to write numerals zero to twelve; (10) ability to tell time
on the hour; (11-12) and ability to add and subtract one digit numbers with
numerals zero to six.
Handwriting Skills: (13) ability to print first and last name; (14)
ability to trace and copy letters; (15) ability to print a minimum of twenty of
twenty-six capital letters from memory; and (16) ability to print a minimum
of twenty of twenty-six small letters from memory.
Reading Readiness Skills: (17) ability to recognize name in print; (18)
ability to name basic colors (red, yellow, blue, green, orange, black, brown
and purple/violet; (19) ability to see likenesses and difference in pictures,
letters and words; (20) ability to identify beginning sounds in words; (21)
ability to recognize by sight a minimum of forty-seven of fifty-two capital
and small letters; (22) ability to say the sounds of a minimum of twenty
letters in isolation; (23) ability to recognize a minimum of six basic sights
words as noted on the kindergarten progress report card.
If, in the opinion of the classroom teacher, it is in the best interest of
a kindergarten child to be promoted even if that child has not mastered
twenty-two of twenty-three skills described above, that child shall be
referred to the school SAPISBAT team for a final decision regarding
promotion/retention. Any student retained previously in kindergarten may
be promoted regardless of skill mastery, but must be referred to the
SAPISBAT team for at-risk intervention.
First Grade Promotion
First graders must successfully complete the primer level of the
adopted basal.
Successful completion shall be measured by 94% word recognition in
oral reading situations based on any informal reading inventory.
(Exceptions may be made when speech defects or other problems interfere
with oral reading ability. In these cases sufficient evidence must be
available to demonstrate that the child comprehends textual material in
silent reading situations.)
Additionally, first graders must meet any two of the three criteria
described below:
1) Demonstrate mastery (immediate sight recognition) of 90% of the
basic sight vocabulary introduced in readiness, pre primer and primer level texts.
2) Obtain a passing score on the WV-STEP reading test. (The passing
score may be achieved on the first testing or the subsequent re-test.)
3) Demonstrate ability to utilize word attack skills in situations
involving initial and final consonants, initial consonant blends, short
vowels in medial positions, consonant digraphs in the initial position, and /e/ controlled long vowels.
If, in the opinion of the classroom teacher, it is in the best interest of
a first grade child to be promoted even if that child has not met the criteria
described above, that child shall be referred to the school SAPISBAT team for a final decision regarding promotion-retention. Any student retained previously in kindergarten or first grade may be promoted regardless of skill mastery, but must be referred to the SAPISBAT team for at-risk intervention.
Promotion Grades 2 – 5
Students in grades two through five may be no more than one (1)
reading level behind the basal sequence to be eligible for promotion. Second
graders shall have successfully completed the 2/1 reader. Third graders
shall have successfully completed the 3/1 reader. Fourth graders shall
have successfully completed the 3/2 reader. Fifth graders shall have
successfully completed the 4th reader. Successful completion shall be
measured by 94% word recognition in oral reading situations based on any
informal reading inventory and a passing score on the WV STEP reading
test. (Exceptions to the 94% rule may be made when speech defects or
other problems interfere with oral reading ability. In these cases sufficient
evidence must be available to demonstrate that the child comprehends
textual material in silent reading situations.)
Finally, the grade card must reflect that a student considered for
retention is experiencing academic difficulties. Academic difficulties may
be reported in one of two ways.
I.) Failing or near failing grades, as follows:
1) An F in Reading and/or Math, or;
2) A D in reading and Math, or;
3) An F in any three of the following programs of study; Social
Studies, Health, English, Science, Spelling, or;
4) A D in Reading and/or Math plus an F in any two of the following programs of study - Social Studies, Health, English, Science, or Spelling.
II.) An indication that the student is functioning one level or more
below the expected reading level for the student's grade placement and/or one grade level below the student's grade placement in math.
In each of the above cases the report card must also be marked Danger
of Retention as described in paragraph 2 of this policy.
An exception to all of the above may be made in the following case:
1) A student who was retained previously in any grade may be
promoted regardless of reading level or grades earned, if promotion is in the best interest of the child, and if the child has been referred for evaluation to the SAPISBAT team.
Levels 6 – 12
Decisions to promote will be based on earned credits in subjects, classes, or programs of study required (or elected) for graduation.
The number of credits needed for promotion shall be based on state and local graduation requirements.
Approved: May 20, 1985 - Clay County Board of Education
Revised: September 21, 1987
Revised: January 6, 1992
Graduation Requirements/Promotion
(Clay Junior High School)
Promotion from Sixth to Seventh Grade
Students are promoted from the sixth to the seventh grade if they
have earned a minimum of ten (10) credits. Seven (7) of the ten (10) credits
must be earned in core or enrichment classes in the following programs of
study - reading, English, science, math and social studies.
Students must earn a minimum of one (1) of two (2) possible semester
credits in each core/enrichment class.
Promotion from Seventh to Eighth Grade
Students are promoted from the seventh grade to the eighth grade
when they have earned a minimum of twenty-two (22) credits. A minimum
of fourteen (14) credits must be earned in core or enrichment classes in the
following programs of study - reading, English, science, math, and social
studies.
Students must earn a minimum of one (1) of two (2) possible semester
credits in each core/enrichment class.
Promotion from Eight to Ninth Grade
Students are promoted from the eighth grade to the ninth grade
when they have earned a minimum of thirty-four (34) credits. A minimum
of twenty-one (21) credits must be earned in core or enrichment classes in
the following programs of study - reading, English, science, math, social
studies, and typing.
For promotion (graduation) from eighth to ninth grade, students
must earn a minimum of one (1) of two (2) possible semester credits in each
core/enrichment class during the eighth grade year and must have earned
a total of four (4) of six (6) possible semester credits in all core/enrichment
classes over sixth through eighth grade span.
Fourth year students must pass a minimum of four classes per
semester in order to be eligible for promotion.
Final decisions regarding the promotion or retention of any student
rest with the Clay Junior High School building principal and his/her staff,
pending normal procedures for appeal.
Definition of Credit
A credit is an assigned value of one semester work in any class. A
credit is earned if a student passes the class for a semester. A value of 1/2
credit is earned for classes scheduled for one quarter.
Core Grade(s) Possible
Enrichment Classes Credits
Reading 6-7-8 6
English 6-7-8 6
Math 6-7-8 6
Science 6-7-8 6
Social Studies 6-7-8 6
Typing 8 2
Related Arts Grade(s) Possible
Credits
Physical Ed. 6-7-8 1 1/2
Music 6-7-8 1 1/2
Art 6-7-8 1 1/2
Health 6-7-8 1 1/2
Home Economics 6-7-8 2
Vocational Education 6-7-8 2
Options for Students Failing Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth Grade
A. Students may attend any accredited summer school during which they
must successfully complete any courses they failed to meet requirements
for promotion to seventh, eighth or ninth grade.
B. Students may repeat the sixth, seventh or eighth grade using the
opportunity to successfully complete courses failed and to reinforce and
improve skills in classes for which he/she received a passing grade. School
staff will ensure that students are scheduled into classes that are challenging to the student, thus giving the student the opportunity to grow academically even though the grade designation is the same.
Approved: June 3, 1985
Revised: March 11, 1991
Revised: February 17, 1992