Pupil Progression Plan

2021-2022 Pupil Progression Plan

 

 

 

Local Education Agency:

 

KIPP New Orleans Schools

 

 

 

Background and Purpose

 

Louisiana state law (R.S. 24.4) requires local education agencies (LEAs) to establish a comprehensive Pupil Progression Plan based on student performance on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program with goals and objectives that are compatible with the Louisiana Competency-Based Education Program and which supplements the minimum standards approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The plan shall address student placement and promotion and shall require the student’s mastery of grade-appropriate skills before he or she can be recommended for promotion.

 

The law states that “particular emphasis shall be placed upon the student’s proficiency in grade- appropriate skills which may be considered in promotion and placement; however, each local school board shall establish a policy regarding student promotion and placement.” The law goes on to require the state Department of Education to establish, subject to the approval of BESE, the level of achievement on the fourth and eighth grade LEAP test⎯in mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies⎯needed for students to advance to grades five and nine. BESE must also determine the nature and application of various intervention options to be used when students fail to meet the minimum academic standards approved by the board.

 

BESE has established minimum standards in Bulletin 1566 – Pupil Progression Policies and Procedures. that relate to placement, promotion, and supports and interventions for students not meeting minimum academic standards. BESE has also approved regulations pursuant to state law that relate to placement and promotion in Bulletin 741 – Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, which includes but is not limited to instructional time, grading policies, credit recovery, and graduation requirements. These bulletins also adhere to federal and state laws and regulations that govern the placement and promotion of students with disabilities, English learners, and transfer students.

 

The purpose of this document is to assist LEAs in developing their required Pupil Progression Plan in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and to codify LEA policies and procedures related to student placement and promotion. In each section of this document, language that conforms to applicable laws and regulations has been prepopulated. Space is provided for LEAs to add any additional local policies and procedures that fulfill the mandate of the law and support students in acquiring proficiency in grade-appropriate skills. Once completed, submitted to the Louisiana Department of Education, and published locally, teachers shall determine promotion or placement of each student on an individual basis. LEAs may review promotion and placement decisions in order to ensure compliance with their established policy, and reviews may be initiated by a school’s governing body, the local superintendent, or a student’s parent or legal custodian.

 

Questions about this document should be directed to [email protected].

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Placement of students in Kindergarten and Grade 1  4

Placement of transfer students  5

Promotion for students in kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7  5

Promotion of students in grade 4  7

Promotion and support of students in Grade 8  9

High School Considerations  11

Support for students  14

Promotion and placement of certain student populations  15

Alternative education placements 17

Due process related to student placement and promotion  19

Additional LEA policies related to student placement, promotion, etc. 19

LEA assurances and submission information  20

 

 

 

Placement of students in Kindergarten and Grade 1

 

Kindergarten

Schools can only make recommendations to parents regarding student enrollment in kindergarten, since kindergarten is not mandatory. However, in accordance with state law (R.S. 17:221), once students have enrolled in kindergarten, they are subject to compulsory attendance laws and promotion requirements set forth by the LEA.

 

Every child, as a prerequisite to enrollment in any first grade of a public school, shall meet one of the following criteria:

• attended a full-day public or private kindergarten for a full academic year; or
• passed an academic readiness screening administered by the LEA at the time of enrollment for first grade

 

The minimum age for kindergarten shall be one year younger than the age required for that child to enter first grade. Each local educational governing authority, by rule, may provide for a child of younger age to enter kindergarten, provided that such child has been evaluated and identified as gifted in accordance with state regulations for such evaluation.

 

Grade 1

• Any child admitted to kindergarten pursuant shall be eligible to enter first grade upon successful completion of kindergarten, provided all other applicable entrance requirements have been fulfilled.
• The age at which a child may enter the first grade of any public school at the beginning of the public school session shall be six years on or before September thirtieth of the calendar year in which the school year begins.
• Any child transferring into the first grade of a public school from another state and not meeting the requirements herein for kindergarten attendance shall be required to pass an academic readiness screening administered by the LEA prior to the time of enrollment for the first grade.

 

In the space below, please describe any additional placement considerations or policies required by the LEA. Include the names of any required assessments and explain how results will be used.

Schools will administer the following assessments as an academic readiness screener: ·       AIMSweb ·       MAP   It is recommended that schools administer the academic readiness screening prior to the start of the school year to ensure the student receives an appropriate placement.  However, as students are assigned to schools within KIPP New Orleans Schools via the OneApp common enrollment system, the time of enrollment will be defined as the first day of school after the student is assigned and the family has completed the school’s enrollment process.  In the event that a student is assigned after the first day of school, the school will have ten (10) school days to administer any requisite academic readiness screeners.

 

 

Placement of transfer students

 

A student who has transferred from a public school, in- or out-of-state, or a nonpublic school, shall be granted credit for work completed in the previous school. A properly certified transcript shall be required with the student’s record of attendance, levels of achievement, history of immunization, and units of credit earned. 

Evaluation information for exceptional students transferring from another school system shall be reviewed by pupil appraisal and approved by a supervisor of special education before the student is enrolled in a special education program.

Students in grades 5 and 9 transferring to a public school from any in-state nonpublic school, any approved home study program, or a Louisiana resident transferring from any out-of-state school, shall be required to pass the English language arts and mathematics portions of the LEAP placement test.

Update to template for 2020-2021 school year:

Students who transfer from homestudy, nonpublic or out-of-state schools and are enrolling in grades 5 or 9 in 2020-2021 do not have to take the state placement test, although the test remains available.

 

In the space below, please describe any additional considerations or local policies related to placement of transfer students.

Promotion for students in kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7

 

Teachers shall, on an individual basis, determine the promotion of each student according to the local Pupil Progression Plan. Particular emphasis shall be placed upon the student’s proficiency in grade-appropriate skills. In the space below, please describe the LEA’s policies and procedures that will be used to determine promotion for students in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7.

Promotion of students in grade 4

 

Each LEA shall identify third and fourth grade students who have not met an acceptable level of performance that would enable them to successfully transition to the next grade level. Fourth grade students who have not met the acceptable level of performance may be retained or promoted, but in either case, shall be provided with an individual academic improvement plan that adheres to the following requirements:

• The school shall convene an in-person meeting with the student’s parent or legal custodian, all teachers of core academic subjects, and specialized support personnel, as needed, to review the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, discuss any other relevant challenges, and formulate an individual academic improvement plan designed to assist the student in achieving proficiency in all core academic subjects. All participants shall sign the documented plan and meet to review progress at least once more before the next administration of the LEAP assessment.
• The student shall be provided with focused, on-grade level instructional support that is appropriate to the content area(s) in which the student has not yet achieved proficiency. Instruction shall be aligned with state academic content standards.

• The student shall be afforded the opportunity to receive grade-level instruction during the summer.
• Each LEA shall adopt a written policy pertaining to the development of individual academic improvement plans. This policy shall be included in the Pupil Progression Plan.
• The Department shall audit a random sampling of students identified as needing an individual academic improvement plan in each local education agency each year.

The LDOE will provide to each LEA a roster of third and fourth grade students who have scored below the “Basic” achievement level in at least two core academic subjects. Such roster will assist the LEA in making final determinations relative to students’ required individual academic plans.

• The decision to retain a student as a result of his/her failure to achieve the standard on the LEAP shall be made by the LEA in accordance with this pupil progression plan.
• The individual academic improvement plan shall continue to be in effect until such time as the student achieves a score of “Basic” in each of the core academic subjects that initially led to the development of the student’s individual academic plan.

 

 

 

In the space below, please describe any local policies or additional considerations used to determine promotion of students at the end of the fourth grade.

Schools will use the following criteria to determine the promotion of students in grade 4: ·       Performance in the subjects of Reading/ELA, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies based upon the required grade level benchmarks/standards established by the state, specifically: o   Attain at least a final grade of D in ELA and Mathematics on their final report card. o   Attain at least a final grade of D in the majority (at least 51%) of classes other than ELA and Mathematics on their final report card. ·       Attendance of a minimum of 60,120 minutes of school ·       No more than 15 unexcused absences per year or the pro rata equivalent based on their date of enrollment ·       Performance on LEAP and/or LEAP Connect assessments ·       Completion of a school-provided mediation program (if necessary).   Parents shall notify KIPP of their student’s disability requiring school-based accommodations prior to the first day in attendance to ensure the school has placed the student in an appropriate placement. This includes students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), an Individualized Accommodations Plan (IAP) under Section 504, and an Individualized Health Plan (IHP) for the treatment of medical needs. Copies of documents pertaining to the students’ needs such as past evaluations, plans, screenings, and interventions should be provided to the school to assist in the transfer. Pursuant with local, state and federal law, KIPP provides a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for all students enrolled within the LEA regardless of disability.   The School Building Level Committee (SBLC) is required to evaluate all promotions and retention instances not covered by the High Stakes Testing Policy. If a student is determined to be non-proficient, consideration for promotion by the SBLC is based on the following: enrollment, attendance, previous academic history, past retentions, performance on classroom & standardized assessments, age, behavioral data, and successful completion of summer remediation and/or summer school.  The committee will evaluate any work samples and/or norm referenced and criterion referenced assessment data available to make appropriate grade placements. The committee will also consider the student’s participation within MTSS/RTI during the preceding school year and whether additional supports are available for the student as an alternative to retention within their current grade. Decisions for students with Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) will be made solely by the student’s IEP team pursuant to state law.

 

 

Promotion and support of students in Grade 8

 

Regular Grade 8 Promotion

Eighth grade students shall score at least at the “Basic” achievement level in either English language arts or mathematics and “Approaching Basic” in the other subject in order to be promoted to the ninth grade. Students who do not meet the promotion standard after taking the eighth grade state assessments in  the spring may be placed on a high school campus in the transitional ninth grade. For any student who recently completed the eighth grade and is transferring into the LEA from another state or country after the completion of summer remediation, the LEA shall review the student’s academic record to determine appropriate placement in ninth grade or transitional ninth grade. Such placement shall occur no later than October 1 of each school year.

 

Grade 8 Promotion Waivers

The LEA may waive the state policy for students scoring at the “Unsatisfactory” level in English language arts or mathematics, if the student scores at the “Basic” level in the other, provided that the student has participated in the spring administrations of LEAP and has attended the summer remediation program offered by the LEA.

An LEA, through its superintendent, may grant a waiver on behalf of individual students who are unable to participate in LEAP testing or unable to attend LEAP summer remediation, including summer remediation required for placement in transitional ninth grade, because of one or more of the following extenuating circumstances as verified through appropriate documentation:

 

Physical Illness―appropriate documentation must include verification that the student is under the medical care of a licensed physician for illness, injury, or a chronic physical condition that is acute or catastrophic in nature. Documentation must include a statement verifying that the illness, injury, or chronic physical condition exists to the extent that the student is unable to participate in remediation.

Custody Issues―certified copies of the court-ordered custody agreements must be submitted to the LEA at least ten school days prior to summer remediation

 

Transitional 9^th Grade

Any first-time eighth grade student who does not meet the passing standard set forth in BESE Bulletin 1566, §703, and any student not eligible for any waiver pursuant to §707 of the bulletin, after completing summer remediation, may be placed on a high school campus in transitional ninth grade.

LEAs shall follow the guidelines set forth in §703 to determine, based on evidence of student learning, whether eighth grade students may be promoted to the ninth grade or placed on a high school campus in transitional ninth grade. The percentage of an LEA’s eighth graders placed in transitional ninth grade is expected to remain stable over time. In the event that the percentage of an LEA’s eighth graders placed in transitional ninth grade exceeds the percentage of eighth graders in that LEA eligible for transitional ninth grade at the conclusion of the prior school year, the local superintendent of that LEA shall provide a written justification to the state superintendent.

The initial decision to place a student in the transitional ninth grade or to retain a student in the eighth grade shall be made by the school in which the student is enrolled in the eighth grade, in consultation with the student’s parents.

The LEA shall admit transitional ninth grade students, subject to any admissions requirements approved by the school’s governing authority or charter authorizer.

For any student who recently completed the eighth grade from another state or country and is transferring into the LEA after summer remediation has taken place, the LEA shall review the student’s academic record to determine appropriate placement in ninth grade or transitional ninth grade. Students placed in the transitional ninth grade shall complete the remediation program offered by the LEA. Such placement shall occur no later than October 1 of each school year.

After one full year of transitional ninth grade, students shall be included in the ninth-grade graduation cohort for high school accountability purposes.

Students enrolled in transitional ninth grade shall receive appropriate academic supports in any subjects in which they did not score at or above proficient, as determined by BESE. A plan outlining such academic supports shall be included in the student’s individual graduation plan (IGP). Progress pursuant to such specified academic supports shall be reviewed at least once throughout the school year in order to determine effectiveness and any needed adjustments.

 

In the space below, please describe any local policies or additional considerations used to determine promotion of students at the end of the eighth grade.

Schools will use the following criteria to determine the promotion of students in grade 8: ·       Performance in the subjects of Reading/ELA, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies based upon the required grade level benchmarks/standards established by the state, specifically: o   Attain at least a final grade of D in ELA and Mathematics on their final report card. o   Attain at least a final grade of D in the majority (at least 51%) of classes other than ELA and Mathematics on their final report card. ·       Attendance of a minimum of 60,120 minutes of school ·       No more than 15 unexcused absences per year or the pro rata equivalent based on their date of enrollment ·       Performance on LEAP and/or LEAP Connect assessments ·       Completion of a school-provided mediation program (if necessary).   If a student is determined to be non-proficient, consideration for promotion by the SBLC is based on the following: enrollment, attendance, previous academic history, past retentions, performance on classroom assessments, age, behavioral data, and successful completion of summer remediation and/or summer school.  The SBLC will determine promotion into 9th Grade or placement into Transitional 9th Grade.

 

 

High School Considerations

 

Instructional Minutes

When awarding credit based on instructional time, LEAs shall provide a minimum of 7,965 instructional minutes for one Carnegie credit, and students shall be in attendance for a minimum of 7,515 minutes. In order to grant one-half Carnegie credit, LEAs shall provide a minimum of 3,983 instructional minutes, and students shall be in attendance for a minimum of 3,758 minutes.

 

Individual Graduation Planning

By the end of the eighth grade, every student (with the assistance of his parent or other legal custodian and school guidance personnel, counselor) or IEP team (when applicable) shall begin to develop an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP).  An IGP guides the next academic year's coursework, assisting students in exploring educational and career possibilities and in making appropriate secondary and postsecondary education decisions as part of an overall career/post-secondary plan.

 

Financial Aid Planning

Louisiana requires public school students graduating spring 2018 and beyond to take one of the following steps as part of their Individual Graduation Plan:

• Complete the FAFSA; or
• Complete the Louisiana TOPS form; or
• Certify a waiver in writing to the LEA (sample: non-participation LEA form/Letter); or
• Receive a waiver through the district hardship waiver process.

 

Early Graduation

Each LEA shall develop an early graduation program allowing students to accelerate their academic progress, complete all state graduation requirements, and receive a high school diploma in less than four years.

 

• The early graduation program may include distance education (§2326), dual enrollment (§2327), and Carnegie credit and credit flexibility (§2314).
• LEAs shall not have any policies or requirements that would prevent students from graduating in less than four years.

 

Credit Recovery

Students may earn a maximum of seven credit recovery units that may be applied towards diploma graduation requirements and no more than two Carnegie units annually. The school system must annually report to LDE the rationale for any student:

• receiving more than two credit recovery credits annually; and/or
• applying more than seven total credit recovery Carnegie units towards graduation requirements.

Students earning Carnegie credit in a credit recovery course must have previously taken and failed the field. Previously attempted coursework is considered an academic record and must be recorded on the official transcript.

 

Completed credit recovery courses must be recorded and clearly labeled on the official transcript.

 

Students enrolled in credit recovery courses are not required to meet the instructional minute requirements found in §333 (Part A).

 

Credit recovery courses must be aligned with state content standards and include a standards aligned pre-assessment to identify unfinished learning and a standards aligned post-assessment to demonstrate course proficiency for content identified as non-proficient.

 

Credit recovery courses taught in a classroom setting using online courses designed for credit recovery must have an assigned certified Louisiana teacher of record or certified teacher of record recognized through a state reciprocity agreement facilitating the instruction.

 

The end-of-course exam weight in a student’s final grade determined by the LEA must be the same for a traditional course and a credit recovery course. Students who have previously passed the end-of-course exam, but have failed the course, may choose to retain the previous end-of-course exam score in lieu of participating in an additional administration of the exam.

 

NCAA Policy

 

Nontraditional Courses

Courses include classes taught online or through blended learning, distance learning, credit recovery, independent study, or similar means. For a nontraditional program to be approved, the courses must meet the following requirements:

 

• The courses must meet NCAA course requirements.
• The courses must have ongoing and regular teacher-initiated interaction for the purposes of teaching, evaluating, and providing assistance throughout the duration of the course. Examples include synchronous or asynchronous instructive interaction, including emails, videoconferencing, online chats, phone calls, and feedback on assessments.
• The courses must have a defined time period for completion. This means the nontraditional program must identify the fastest and slowest paths to successfully complete a course.

 

Nontraditional courses could fail to meet NCAA core-course requirements for any of the following reasons:

 

• Does not require regular and ongoing instructive interaction between the student and teacher throughout the duration of a course.
• Does not require students to complete the entire course.
• Allows students to take numerous courses at the same time, especially courses in the same subject area or that are sequential.
• Does not prepare students for four-year college classwork.
• Does not have official student grade records.

Information for school administrators

If a nontraditional course or program at your school has not yet been reviewed by the NCAA, please contact the NCAA Eligibility Center to begin the review process.

 

Credit recovery programs

For a credit recovery program to be approved, the courses must meet the following requirements:

 

• The courses must meet NCAA core-course requirements, and in some instances, nontraditional course requirements.
• The school must follow its credit recovery policies, regardless if the student is an athlete. The NCAA Eligibility Center may request the school’s policy, if necessary.
• The credit recovery courses should be clearly identified as such on the high school transcript.
• Repeated courses must be substantially comparable, qualitatively and quantitatively, to the previously attempted course.
•  

Distance and E-Learning Environments

Coursework completed via distance learning during the spring and summer of 2020 will not require a separate review. This guidance applies to students seeking college eligibility.

 

Students are encouraged to complete their NCAA-approved core-courses through the channels of instruction provided or recommended by their school, district, or state department of education.

 

In the space below, please describe any local policies or additional considerations used to determine the promotion of students in Grades 9 and above and to support their attainment of a high school diploma.

Support for students

 

School year support

The individual academic plan for each student identified in §701 of BESE Bulletin 1566 will outline the responsibilities of each party for students who have failed to achieve the standards by the end of fourth grade.

The LEA will design and implement additional instructional strategies to move the students to grade-level proficiency by providing at least two of the following, which will be documented in the individual academic improvement plan:

• The student is placed in the classroom of a teacher who has been rated “Highly Effective” pursuant to his/her most recent evaluation or has achieved a value-added rating of “Highly Effective” pursuant to his/her most recent evaluation, or has documented evidence derived from state summative assessments of improving the academic performance of students having individual academic improvement plans in the past.
• The student completes summer remediation.
• Additional instructional time is provided during or outside of the school day to expose the student to high-quality instruction. This will not result in a student being removed from English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies courses.
• The student is provided access to on grade-level instruction that is aligned to Louisiana State Standards, which may include some below grade-level content and support needed to address the student’s identified weaknesses.
• Remediation programs used throughout the school day and school year will not account for more than 35 percent of total instructional minutes.

The LEA will offer, at no cost, extended, on-grade level instruction through summer remediation to students who did not take the spring LEAP tests or who failed to meet the standard set forth in §701 and §703 of BESE Bulletin 1566. The LEA will provide transportation to and from the assigned remediation summer site(s) from, at a minimum, a common pick-up point.

Students with disabilities attending summer remediation will receive special supports as needed.

 

Summer remediation

 

Pursuant to state law (R.S. 17:24.4), LEAs shall continue to offer summer remediation to any student not meeting promotion standards as determined by BESE.  Summer remediation programs will meet all of the following requirements:

 

• Uses curriculum determined by the Louisiana Department of Education to fully align to Louisiana State Standards (Bulletin 141 – Louisiana Standards for English Language Arts, Bulletin 142 – Louisiana Standards for Mathematics, Bulletin 1962 – Louisiana Science Content Standards, and Bulletin 1964 – Louisiana Social Studies Content Standards).
• Utilizes teachers rated “Highly Effective” pursuant to the teacher’s most recent evaluation or have achieved a value-added rating of “Highly Effective” on the most recent evaluation.
• Limits remedial (below grade-level) instruction to only necessary and focused skills as identified from top-quality assessments and does not account for more than 35 percent of the total summer remediation instructional time.

Promotion and placement of certain student populations

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities attending summer remediation shall receive special supports as needed.

IEP teams shall determine promotion to the next grade level for a student with a disability who fails to meet state or local established performance standards for the purposes of promotion. Such determination shall be made only if, in the school year immediately prior to each grade level in which the student would otherwise be required to demonstrate certain proficiency levels in order to advance to the next grade level, the student has not otherwise met the local requirements for promotion or has not scored at or above the basic achievement level on the English language arts or mathematics components of the required state assessment and at or above the approaching basic achievement level on the other (Bulletin 1530 §403).

 

English learners

The requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are as follows:

• Establish procedures to identify language minority students.
• Establish procedures to determine if language minority students are Limited English Proficient.
• Establish procedures for age-appropriate placement and determine the specialized language services or program the district will use to address the linguistic and cultural needs of the Limited English Proficient student.

 

Limited English Proficient (LEP) students shall participate in the statewide assessments pursuant to Bulletin 118.  Increasing the expectations for the academic content that students must master in grades K-12 requires a parallel increase in expectations for English language acquisition.

• Establish procedures to monitor former Limited English Proficient students for two years.
• Ensure that no LEP student shall be retained solely because of limited English proficiency.

 

In the space below, please describe any local policies or additional considerations related to the promotion and placement of students with disabilities, English learners, or other student populations. 

English Language Learners An ELL entering the school system may fall into one of two categories for placement: CATEGORY 1 - ELLs with academic records and transcripts; or CATEGORY 2 - ELLs without academic records and transcripts.   CATEGORY 1 - ELLs with academic records and transcripts: Grades K - 8: The student entering KIPP New Orleans will be placed in a grade level that is chronologically age appropriate. If there is a discrepancy between chronological age and grade level placement based on academic records, the student shall be placed in the grade level of his age-mates: i.e., a student who is seven years of age prior to September 30th of the school year should be placed in the second grade.   Grades 9 - 12: A student who is 15 years or older MUST be placed in the high school program (grades 9 -12). The student is placed in the appropriate grade level based on awarded credits earned. International transcripts for grades 9 - 12 are evaluated by the school principal, guidance counselor, Manager of Student Support and the English as a Second Language Coordinator using The International Transcript Guide and/or other resources describing the country’s educational system of evaluation.   CATEGORY 2 - ELLs without academic records and transcripts: Grades K - 8: The ELL entering KIPP New Orleans will be placed in a grade level that is chronologically age appropriate. If there is a discrepancy between chronological age and grade level placement that results from screening assessments, the student shall be placed in the grade appropriate to his chronological age.   Grades 9 - 12: The ELL without records who is 15 years or older MUST be placed in the high school program (grades 9 –12) and work to complete SBESE (State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Bulletin 741) requirements to receive a high school diploma.   “No LEP student shall fail a class due to limited English Proficiency” In accordance with Title III Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2006, English Language Learners (ELLs) will attain English proficiency, reach high levels of academic attainment, and meet the same statewide academic standards as non-ELL students. Students will receive targeted language support in ESL classrooms in addition to instructional modifications and assessment accommodations in general education classes. Teachers will implement the accommodations and modifications determined by the student’s ELL committee and documented in his/her English Language Learner (ELL) plan. These accommodations must be used in both instruction and assessment.

 

Grades 9 - 12: The ELL without records who is 15 years or older MUST be placed in the high school program (grades 9 –12) and work to complete SBESE (State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Bulletin 741) requirements to receive a high school diploma.   “No LEP student shall fail a class due to limited English Proficiency” In accordance with Title III Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2006, English Language Learners (ELLs) will attain English proficiency, reach high levels of academic attainment, and meet the same statewide academic standards as non-ELL students. Students will receive targeted language support in ESL classrooms in addition to instructional modifications and assessment accommodations in general education classes. Teachers will implement the accommodations and modifications determined by the student’s ELL committee and documented in his/her English Language Learner (ELL) plan. These accommodations must be used in both instruction and assessment. Grading of ELL students should therefore reflect daily instructional accommodations as well as testing accommodations, and should not penalize the student for not yet being fully fluent in English.  Grades for any given class should be developed in collaboration between the general education teacher and ESL teacher. ELLs will receive grades based on accommodations or alternative assignments appropriate to the student’s language proficiency level, and receive the same report card that is used in general education. ELLs cannot be penalized for missing work in the general education class room during the time they are pulled for ESOL services. Teachers must grade students on the components for which they are present and derive the class grade based on the elements completed by the student. Comments should be used to explain that grades are based on instructional accommodations, modified materials, or alternative assignments (when applicable). Students with Disabilities IEP teams shall determine promotion to the next grade level for a student with a disability who fails to meet state or local performance standards on any assessment for purposes of promotion. Such determination shall be made only if the student has not otherwise met the local requirements for promotion. (Bulletin 1530 §403) Students with disabilities participating in the state testing program must be provided with accommodations as noted in the students’ Individual Education Program (IEP). (Bulletin 118 §3301)   Students eligible for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 should receive accommodations as noted on their individual accommodation plan (IAP).

Alternative education placements

 

Alternative schools/programs serve students who are not succeeding in the traditional educational setting and offer a venue that aids in preventing these students from dropping out of school. Alternative schools/programs provide educational and other services to students who have a variety of behavioral and other needs that cannot be adequately met in a traditional school setting.  (Refer to Bulletin 741, §2903 and Bulletin 131)

 

In the space below, please describe the LEA’s policies for placement of students in an alternative program or school, including any promotion policies that may differ from what was provided above.

The SBLC and/or IEP Team will be responsible for analyzing all available records to determine if an alternative program, school, or acceleration is appropriate. If the shift being considered involves a move from one school to another, EnrollNOLA’s transition team will be involved to complete the transfer on the basis of specialized programming availability and/or overage programming. Following this review and if a transfer is deemed merited, a conference will be held with the principals, teacher and parents.

Due process related to student placement and promotion

In the space below, please describe the LEA’s due process procedures related to student placement for regular education students, students with disabilities having an Individualized Education Program plan, and students having an Individual Accommodation/Section 504 plan.

 

LEA policies for promotion and placement are monitored periodically by the KIPP New Orleans Schools CMO staff to verify policies are being implemented uniformly across the network.  A request for a change or reconsideration of decisions relative to a student’s educational program, as provided for in the Pupil Progression Plan, can be made by a parent or guardian to the school’s principal. The principal will consider the request or refer the matter to SBLC, when appropriate. The decision shall be communicated to the parents within three school weeks of the request.  Parents may appeal that decision to the network’s Chief Executive Officer or her designee. They will then make a recommendation to the Superintendent who will make a final decision. Such requests must be submitted in writing and contain evidence to be considered. In the case of the student with a disability, the due process procedures must be consistent with those described in the approved Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or related state bulletins and local policies.

 

 

Additional LEA policies related to student placement, promotion, etc.

 

In the space below, please describe any additional LEA policies related to student placement and promotion, etc. that have not been addressed in other sections of this document.

Note: This may include course pre-reqs, class ranking, etc.

 

An exceptional promotion as defined by the SBLC on a case by case basis may be considered where allowed by BESE policy only under one or more of the following circumstances:   ·       If the student has been in the grade for two years; ·       If the student is two years above his/her age group and has been enrolled at least one full year in each preceding elementary year; or ·       In rare and extreme cases with other extenuating circumstances.

LEA assurances and submission information

 

Assurance is hereby made to the Louisiana Department of Education that this KIPP New Orleans Schools 2020-2021 Pupil Progression Plan has been developed in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. If any local policy outlined in this plan conflicts with federal or state laws or regulations, I understand that federal and state laws and regulations shall supersede the local policy.