Milford School Board reviewed changes to Board Policy 6103 – Promotion and Diploma Requirements. The policy was created through a committee of teachers, administrators, counselors and specialists. This policy replaces 6101 and 6303 to create a more comprehensive policy.
“The committee voted to do an entire overhaul after looking at the surrounding districts and their promotion deployment requirements,” Dr. Bobbie Kilgore, Supervisor of Teaching and Learning, said. “They felt firmly that a committee should decide if a student is promoted rather than making it an administrative position.”
The new policy states that when performance criteria for promotion are not met, each school will have a School Success Team, chaired by the principal, to evaluate the whole student. The team will review things like attendance, standardized test results, teacher evaluations, social-economic development and intervention services. All promotion decisions will be made in consultation with the appropriate staff and the student’s family in the best interest of the student success.
Students who are retained will have an individual plan for support developed by the team for the following school year. There will be an attempt to place students in K-8 with a new teacher or instructional team unless otherwise agreed upon by the team and the family. Students in grades 9-12 who are retained will have a course placement reflecting the plan for academic recovery and continued progress for graduation.
In order to be promoted in grades K-8, a student must meet minimum criteria of three of the four core subjects: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Of the three passed subjects, one must be English language Arts. Students in grades 9-12 must earn a minimum number of credits each year to stay on track for graduation. For grade 9, a student must have earned six credits; grade 10, 12 credits; grade 11, 18 credits and grade 12, 24 credits.
Students must successfully earn four credits in English Language Arts, four credits in mathematics, three credits in science, three credits in socials studies, one credit in physical education, one half credit in health, two credits in world language, three credits in their career pathway and three-and-a-half credits in electives in order to graduate.
This was a first read of the policy which means the board will vote at a future meeting.
