Depending on the unique needs of school communities, a written policy can assist school systems in clearly outlining their position on student promotion and related issues. Based on case studies of district policies, the Commission on Student Learning (CSL) offers the following guidelines for developing a local policy for promotion and retention (CSL, 1996):

• Establish a clear philosophy or goal that promotes success. Many policies imply that the school's goal is to make correct educational decisions for the students, however, an explicitly stated philosophy or goal provides a clear criterion against which details of the policy and individual decisions can be measured.
• Emphasize instruction over retention. Policies should state the specific learning improvement plan that is to be followed. This may include procedures for assisting students and checking progress more than once a year, so that students have a chance to catch up with their peers.
• Use valid measures of achievement. The CSL found that most legal challenges to policies occur when policies are based on standardized tests whose reliability and validity have been contested. Courts have been consistent in their view that teacher-assigned grades are within a teacher's area of educational expertise. Past court action makes it clear that school officials must make certain that achievement criteria reliably reflect what students are taught as well as what they have learned.
• State the promotion/retention criteria clearly [if applicable]. State how decisions will be made, and who will be involved in the process in cases where some of the criteria are not met.
• Develop flexible promotion/retention standards and leave room for appeal. At a minimum, this means not relying on a single test score. Many factors contribute to a student's potential for success.
• Include more than minimum competency requirements. Minimum competency can sometimes lead to a pass/fail mentality. Policies are more beneficial when they are oriented toward high achievement for all students.
• Be clear about how you will make accommodations for special-needs students. All policies should work to ensure practices are equitable regardless of student background or ability.

---

This document's URL is: © 2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Date of Last Update: 09/19/2001 Email Webmaster Tel. 503.275.9500