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AS64 – Student Retention and Acceleration

  • Effective: 8/27/1969
  • Revision: 4/27/2021
  1. Board Directive
    The Board recognizes that special consideration may need to be given to some students for grade placement.   The Board authorizes the Administration to implement policy regarding student retention and acceleration.
  2. Administrative Policy
    The Administration recognizes that schools should offer students opportunities for acquiring skills, and for cognitive, academic, social and emotional development.  Ideally, the needs of an individual student can be met by differentiated instruction while he/she remains with his/her own age peer group.  In extreme cases, student retention or acceleration may be considered.
    Decisions regarding student retention or acceleration should be made only after all the needs and abilities of the student have been assessed, reviewed by an evaluation team and have been determined to meet the retention or acceleration guidelines found in the Planning and Enrollment Procedures Manual.

    1. The membership of the evaluation team will include the parent or legal guardian and any teachers or staff members with relevant and appropriate information about the student’s performance. The student may participate at the discretion of the parent/guardian and school administrator. The school administrator leads the team and makes the final decision based on its recommendation.
    2. The school administrator shall reasonably accommodate requests for retention of students in kindergarten through grade 8 as required by Utah Code 53G-6-803-2. Requests for retention of students in grades 9-12 may be approved by the school administrator in extreme cases when warranted by the situation and assessment data and recommended by the evaluation team.
    3. A reasonable acceleration or retention completed by another LEA and reflected on the student’s official transcript or record will be honored by the District upon the enrollment of the student. Students new to the District or to a District school must typically enroll in the age-appropriate grade long enough for the evaluation team to assemble relevant data regarding the acceleration or retention.
    4. The decision of retention or acceleration may be reviewed by the team at any time during the student’s educational experience, but a retention or acceleration may only occur once per academic year.
    5. The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) may request a review of their student’s acceleration or retention from Planning & Enrollment in the Student Services Department if they feel that relevant information was not considered or that established processes were not followed. In the event of irregularities, Planning & Enrollment will present any findings to the school administrator, who retains the responsibility for the final decision on an acceleration or retention.