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Reading Sufficiency Policy

 

Promotion, Retention, and Failing Grades Pass/Failure 

Purpose: To provide information concerning promotion and retention as it pertains to the Reading Sufficiency Act (70 O.S. §1210.508A, et seq.)

Definitions 

Promote or promotion – As used in this policy means to place a student successfully completing the requirements of a
particular grade level into the next higher grade level following the end of the school year and to record on the student’s
permanent cumulative record that the current grade level has been successfully completed. 

Retain or retention – As used in this policy, means a decision to decline to advance a student into the next higher grade level
following the end of the school year and to indicate on the student’s permanent cumulative record that the current grade level
has not been successfully completed. 

 

Reading Sufficiency Testing (Policy EKBA): 
Reading sufficiency testing will be conducted in this school district to ensure that each student has attained the necessary reading skills upon completion of the third grade. Every student enrolled in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades shall be assessed by multiple ongoing assessments for the acquisition of reading skills for the grade level in which the student is enrolled. Except for students who are on an individualized education program, have limited English proficiency, or for whom English is a second language, any student found not to be reading at the appropriate grade level before the close of each school year shall be provided a reading assessment plan. The plan shall include a program of instruction in reading designed to enable the student to acquire the appropriate grade level of reading skills. The plan shall also include, but not be limited to:

1. Sufficient additional in-school instructional time for the development of reading and comprehension
    skills of the student;
2. If necessary, tutorial instruction after regular school hours, on Saturdays, and during the summer;
   however, such instruction may not be counted toward the 180 day school year required by law;
3. The five essential elements of reading instruction: phoneme awareness, phonics, spelling, reading
   fluency and comprehension.

The program will be continued until the student is determined not to be in need of remediation in reading.

The district reading sufficiency plan shall be adopted and annually updated, with input from school administrators, teachers, students, and parents, and if possible a reading specialist, and which shall be submitted to and approved by the State Board of Education as a part of the Comprehensive Local Education Plan. This plan shall include a plan for each site that includes an analysis of the data provided by the Oklahoma School Testing Program and other reading assessments utilized.

A committee will be established at each school site to determine the reading assessment plan for each student for whom a plan is necessary. The committee shall be composed of educators and, if possible, shall include a certified reading specialist. A student’s parent or guardian shall be included in the development of a plan for that Student.

A new reading assessment plan shall be developed and implemented for any third-grade student in need of remediation as determined by multiple ongoing assessments and reading assessments administered in the Oklahoma School Testing Program. If possible, a fourth-grade teacher shall be involved in the development of the reading assessment plan. In addition to the above-referenced requirements, the new plan shall include specialized tutoring and may include a recommendation as to whether the student should be retained in the third grade at the close of the year. The student’s parent or guardian shall be included in the retention consideration.
Copies of the results of reading assessments shall be made a part of the permanent record of each student.

 

Clinton Public Schools data from 2021 OSTP reading portion for grades 3-10: 
3rd grade 86% of students scored below proficiency
4th grade 85% of students scored below proficiency
5th grade 65% of students scored below proficiency
6th grade 77% of students scored below proficiency 
7th grade 74% of students scored below proficiency
8th grade 71% of students scored below proficiency
Due to the State of Oklahoma no longer testing sophomores on a state assessment, the percentage of 10th-grade students who scored below proficiency is currently unavailable.

 

Student Retention (Policy EIA-R4): 
In accordance with the policy of the board of education, the following criteria for the selection of students to be retained in their current grade, or denied course credit, will be used in this school district. Students shall be promoted or receive credit for a course of study if a grade average of 60% has been achieved for an entire course of study as determined by the teacher. Students in grades one through eight must achieve a grade average of 60% or higher in at least three major courses of study to be promoted to the next higher grade. The major courses of study are math, language arts, science, reading, and social studies.

  1. Any student who demonstrates proficiency in reading at the third-grade level through a screening instrument which meets the acquisition of reading skills criteria shall not be subject to retention. Upon demonstrating proficiency through screening, the district shall provide notification to the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) of the student that they have satisfied the requirements of the Reading Sufficiency Act and will not be subject to retention pursuant to this section.
  2. If a third-grade student is identified at any point of the academic year as having a significant reading deficiency, which shall be defined as scoring below proficient on a screening instrument which meets the acquisition of reading skills criteria, the district shall immediately begin a student reading portfolio and shall provide notice to the parent of the deficiency.
  3. a. If a student has not yet satisfied the proficiency requirements of this section prior to the completion of third grade, the student may qualify for automatic promotion to the fourth grade upon scoring at the "limited knowledge" level on the reading portion of the statewide third-grade criterion-referenced test.b. Prior to promotion, however, the district shall provide notice to the student's parent(s) and/or guardian(s) that the child is not yet reading at grade level and provide the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) of the child the option for retention should they so desire. The notice shall contain, at a minimum, the most recently identifiable grade level on which the student is actually proficient, the opportunities for summer reading programs, school and/or community based reading tutoring, vendors which provide reading tutoring and the rights to the continuing intensive remediation pursuant to this paragraph.c. A student so promoted shall be entitled to intensive remediation in reading until the student is able to demonstrate proficiency in reading at the grade level in which the student is enrolled. An intensive remediation plan shall be developed by a "Student Reading Proficiency Team" composed of
    1. the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) of the student,
    2. the teacher assigned to the student who had responsibility for reading instruction in that academic year, 
    3. a teacher in reading who teaches in the subsequent grade level,
    4. the school principal, and
    5. a certified reading specialist, if one is available.
  4. If a student has not yet satisfied the proficiency requirements of this section prior to the completion of third grade and still has a significant reading deficiency, as identified based on assessments administered that meet the acquisition of reading skills criteria, has not accumulated evidence of third-grade proficiency through a student portfolio, or is not subject to a good cause exemption, then the student shall not be eligible for automatic promotion to fourth grade.
  5. a. For the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, a student not qualified for automatic promotion under paragraph 4 of this subsection may be evaluated for "probationary promotion" by a "Student Reading Proficiency Team" composed of:
    1. the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) of the student,
    2. the teacher assigned to the student who had responsibility for reading instruction in that academic year,
    3. a teacher in reading who teaches in the subsequent grade level,
    4. the school principal, and
    5. a certified reading specialist 

The student shall be promoted to the fourth grade if the team members unanimously recommend "probationary promotion" to the school district superintendent and the superintendent approves the recommendation that promotion is the best option for the student. If a student is allowed a "probationary promotion", the team shall continue to review the reading performance of the student and repeat the requirements of this paragraph each academic year until the student demonstrates grade-level reading proficiency, as identified through a screening instrument which meets the acquisition of reading skills criteria, for the corresponding grade level in which the student is

  1. Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, students who score at the unsatisfactory level on the reading portion of the statewide third-grade criterion-referenced test and who are not subject to a good cause exemption, as provided in subsection K of this section, shall be retained in the third grade and provided intensive instructional services and supports.
  2. The school district shall annually report to the State Department of Education the number of students promoted to the fourth grade as required by law.

A third-grade student may be promoted for “good cause” if the student meets one of the following statutory exemptions:

  1. Limited-English-proficient students who have had less than two years of instruction in an English language learner program;
  2. Students with disabilities whose individualized education plans, consistent with state law, indicates that the student is to be assessed with alternative achievement standards through the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program (OAAP); Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an alternative standardized reading assessment approved by the State Board of Education;
  3. Students who demonstrate through a student portfolio, that the student is reading on grade level as evidenced by demonstration of mastery of the state standards beyond the retention level;
  4. Students with disabilities who participate in the statewide criterion-referenced tests and who have an individualized education plan that reflects that the student has received intensive remediation for reading for more than two years but still demonstrates a deficiency in reading and was previously retained in prekindergarten for academic reasons, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or third grade; and
  5. Students who have received intensive remediation in reading through a program of reading instruction for two or more years but still demonstrate a deficiency in reading and who were previously retained in prekindergarten for academic reasons, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or third grade for a total of two years.

Requests to exempt students from the mandatory retention requirements based on one of the good-cause exemptions shall be made using the following process:

  1. Documentation submitted from the teacher of the student to the school principal that indicates the student meets one of the good-cause exemptions and promotion of the student is appropriate. Documentation shall be limited to the alternative assessment results or student portfolio work and the individual education plan (IEP), as applicable;
  2. The principal of the school shall review and discuss the documentation with the teacher. If the principal determines that the student meets one of the good-cause exemptions and should be promoted based on the documentation provided, the principal shall make a recommendation in writing to the school district superintendent; and
  3. After review, the school district superintendent shall accept or reject the recommendation of the principal in writing.

In the elementary and middle schools, a placement committee consisting of the principal, counselor, and teacher(s) shall determine if a student is to be assigned to the next higher grade. The committee shall consider standardized test scores and the student's age. 

Whenever a teacher or a placement committee recommends that a student be retained at the present grade level or not passed in a course, the parent(s) or guardian, if dissatisfied with the recommendation, may appeal the decision by complying with the district’s appeal process. The decision of the board of education shall be final. The parent(s) or guardian may prepare a written statement to be placed in and become a part of the permanent record of the student stating the parent(s)’s or guardian’s reason(s) for disagreeing with the decision of the board.

 

2021 Retention data for students in grades 3-10: 
0 students were retained in 3rd grade 
0 students were retained in 4th grade 
0 students were retained in 5th grade 
0 students were retained in 6th grade 
0 students were retained in 7th grade 
0 students were retained in 8th grade 
0 students were retained in 10th grade 

 

2021 Good Cause Promotion Statistics for Third Grade students: 
100% of students promoted for good cause