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