Student Retentions

The classroom teacher carefully monitors students' work during the first quarter of the school year. Based upon the student's progress the teacher may declare a child a candidate for retention at any time during the school year. The STAR test score is one assessment tool; the teacher also uses the first quarter of school to assess your child before making a recommendation for At-Risk of Retention. This provides a recommendation based on many factors, not just a single test score.

Should At-Risk of Retention status be recommended, the classroom teacher will develop an action plan and will contact the parent to meet and discuss what remediation is appropriate.

Typically, retention is not recommended for students who have been previously retained. Also, if a child participates in a Special Education Program, any decisions about retention would be made during the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process.

Students in Transitional Kindergarten are not retained and the maximum retention for a kindergarten student to continue in kindergarten is one year. Retention in kindergarten is at the consent of the parent or guardian.

Parents' support and assistance is crucial as we work to improve each student's performance. In the spring, an evaluation of the child’s progress throughout the year will determine if a final recommendation for retention will be made.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s test scores or his/her progress during the fall, please contact your child's school.

District Procedures/Policies Regarding Retentions: Administrative Procedure 5123 and Board Policy 5123:

APPEAL PROCESS

The teacher's decision to promote or retain a student may be appealed consistent with Board policy, administrative procedure and law. The burden shall be on the appealing party to show why the teacher's decision should be overruled. (Education Code 48070.5) To appeal a teacher's decision, the appealing party shall submit a written request to the Superintendent or designee specifying the reasons why the teacher's decision should be overruled. The appeal must be initiated within 10 school days of the determination of retention or promotion. The teacher shall be provided an opportunity to state orally and/or in writing the criteria on which his/her decision was based.

Within 30 days of receiving the request, the Superintendent or designee shall determine whether or not to overrule the teacher's decision. Prior to making this determination, the Superintendent or designee may meet with the appealing party and the teacher. If the Superintendent or designee determines that the appealing party has overwhelmingly proven that the teacher's decision should be overruled, he/she shall overrule the teacher's decision.

The Superintendent or designee's determination may be appealed by submitting a written appeal to the Retention Review Panel (RRP) within 15 school days. Within 30 days of receipt of a written appeal, the Retention Review Panel shall meet to decide the appeal.

The Panel's decision may be made on the basis of documentation prepared as part of the appeal process. The decision of the Retention Review Panel will be final.