File: IKE - Ensuring all Students Meet StandardsPromotion, Retention and Acceleration of Students
File: IKE - Ensuring all Students Meet StandardsThe Board believes that early identification of students who are not making adequate progress toward achieving standards and effective intervention are crucial. In accordance with the Board´s policy on grading and assessment systems, teachers shall assess the teaching and learning process on a continual basis. Teachers shall identify students early in the school year who are not making adequate progress toward achieving state and district academic standards and may choose to implement an individual learning plan for each such student.
The plan shall be developed by the student´s teacher and/or other appropriate school staff with input from the student´s parents/guardians. The student´s parents/guardians shall agree in writing to support the plan. Neglect by the parents/guardians with regard to participating in development of the plan or agreeing to support the plan shall not affect implementation of the plan.
The plan shall address the specific learning needs of the student. Strategies designed to address those needs may include tutoring programs, after-school programs, summer school programs, other intensive programs and other proven strategies. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate on the development of such plans and to use a variety of strategies consistent with the student´s learning style and needs.
Each semester, students with individual learning plans shall be reassessed in the content areas covered by the plan.
In order to provide the services necessary to support individual learning plans, the superintendent shall develop tutoring programs, after-school programs, summer school programs and other intensive programs in the content areas covered by state and district standards. The Board shall commit resources in the budget to support these programs.
As determined by the principal and in accordance with applicable law, students not meeting applicable state and district academic standards may not be promoted to the next grade level or allowed to graduate.
When students are retained in the same grade level, the teacher shall evaluate the previous teaching and learning experiences of the student, including whether specific aspects of the individual learning plan were appropriate and effective. Based on this evaluation the teacher shall modify the plan to ensure that the student´s needs will be met and that the student´s educational experience from the previous year is not merely repeated.
Retention due to social, emotional or physical immaturity shall be used on a very limited basis. After consulting with the student´s parents/guardians, teacher and other professional staff and in accordance with applicable law, the principal shall determine whether it is in the best interests of the student to be retained for such reasons.
Decisions relative to promotion, retention, and/or attendance of an alternative educational setting shall be the responsibility of the professional staff. Parents shall be consulted and informed at an early date where retention is advisable and/or an alternative educational setting attendance is advisable.
Double promotion or skipping of grades shall be used in rare and extreme cases and then only with the unanimous approval of the teacher, principal and parents.
Student data to be considered in these cases might include: prior achievement tests, proficiency tests, other related tests, and all student records.
Kindergarten through Grade Eight
The procedure to retain a student in kindergarten, first, second or third grade due to the student´s significant reading deficiency shall be in accordance with the regulation on early literacy and reading comprehension and applicable law.
The professional staff shall make retention and/or alternative educational setting decisions. Written recommendations for any action as well as parent approvals and/or rejections shall be part of a student´s record. Any student being considered for retention or an alternative educational setting needs a special conference with the teacher, student, parent and principal. Retention requires approval of the building principal.
Students who do not meet standards (CMAS categories of "Did Not Meet" or "Partially Met") in reading, writing, and mathematics will be considered for retention or referral to an alternative educational setting.
If summer school is recommended as the possible alternative to retention, tuition may be charged. Transportation will be furnished by the parent. Students who choose to attend shall demonstrate regular attendance and meaningful progress toward appropriate grade level standards.
High School
Classifications at La Junta High School shall be as follows:
Freshman 0 units
Sophomore 6 units
Junior 12 units
Senior 18 units
The number of years in school shall not be the basis for academic class standing. Advancement towards academic class standing and graduation is determined by the number of carnegie units of credit earned. No credit is earned for classes failed. Failure in subjects may result in retention within the same academic level of classification.
In semester-only courses, only one-half credit shall be lost if the course is failed.
As a possible option to retention, students may attend summer school with the tuition charged to the student and transportation furnished by the parent. Summer school credit accepted by the school toward graduation may be used to replace any carnegie units of credit failed. Prior approval of principal is required. Credits shall be labeled on transcripts as summer school (SS) "mathematics" or "English" or as appropriate.
A one-half summer school credit shall not replace a full credit that has been lost. A full unit of summer school credit, when offered, possibly may replace a lost credit if it meets sequence requirements.
A student may be retained and/or attend and satisfactorily complete an alternative educational setting if he/she has not reached a standard of achievement which would allow him/her to progress satisfactorily in the next grade. An alternative educational setting is defined as summer school, alternative school, and/or after-school mentoring, and tutoring.
Students who do not meet standards in reading, writing, and mathematics will be considered for retention or referral to an alternative educational setting.
Special education students
Students currently served in a special education program may be retained only when recommended for such placement in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) by an appropriate staffing committee. Such staffing shall be completed by June 1 of any school year.
An appropriate staffing committee may refer students eligible for extended school year services and currently served in a special education program to an alternative educational setting through the IEP process. Other special education students not eligible for extended school year services may also attend an alternative educational setting. The referral process is the same as above.
LAU students
Students who are actively participating in the LAU program shall be retained only after a staffing by the LAU teacher, regular program teacher, language assessment coordinator and building principal.
Adopted April 14, 1986
Revised March 31, 1988
Revised December 13, 1988
Revised July 17, 1995
Revised March 8, 1999
Revised May 18, 2006
Revised July 8, 2013
Revised March 12, 2018
Revised July 13, 2020
LEGAL REF.: C.R.S. 22-32-109 (1)(hh)
CROSS REFS.: AE, Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment
AEA, Standards Based Education
IA, Instructional Goals and Learning Objectives
IK, Academic Achievement
IKA, Grading Assessment Systems
ILBA, District Program Assessments
ILBB, State Program Assessments