Promotion and Retention

A student may be promoted on the basis of academic achievement and/or demonstrated proficiency in the subject matter of the course or grade level. To earn credit in a course, a student must demonstrate mastery on grade level standards and meet LTS’s requirements for attendance.

If a student in grades 3–8 is enrolled in a course that earns high school credit and for which an EOC assessment will be administered, the student will not be subject to the promotion requirements described above for the relevant grade 5 or 8 assessment. However, for federal accountability purposes, the student may be required to take both the grade level and EOC assessment.

Parents of a student at or above grade 3 who does not perform satisfactorily on his or her state-mandated examinations will be notified that their child will participate in special instructional programs designed to improve performance. The student may be required to participate in this instruction before or after normal school hours or outside of the normal school year. Failure of a student to attend these programs may result in violations of required school attendance, as well as the student not being promoted to the next grade level.

A student may be considered for retention if they have met any of the following criteria:

• 1. Failed one or more core subject areas
• 2. Failed one or more state assessments
• 3. Is below level in one or more core subject areas
• 4. Missed more than 10% of instructional days in an academic year

The decision must be made by a committee composed of the child’s core subject area teachers, the counselor, and the principal or designee.

Special Education Students

A student’s IEP can modify the school’s promotion criteria in whole or in part. Any modified promotion standards shall be determined by the student’s ARD committee and documented in the IEP. A student’s ARD committee will also make determinations on whether a student will be promoted or retained.

Parent Option for Students to Repeat Grades or Courses

In certain circumstances, a parent may elect for a student to repeat a grade. Subject to certain restrictions, a parent may elect for a student to

• 1. repeat prekindergarten;
• 2. enroll in prekindergarten if the child was eligible to enroll in free prekindergarten under Education Code § 29.153(b) and has not yet enrolled in kindergarten;
• 3. repeat kindergarten;
• 4. enroll in kindergarten if the child would have enrolled in kindergarten in the previous school year and has not yet enrolled in first grade;
• 5. for grades 1–3, repeat the grade in which the student was enrolled during the previous school year; or
• 6. for grades 4–8, repeat the grade in which the student was enrolled in the previous school year.

An election for a student to repeat a grade must be made in writing. If LTS disagrees with a parent election for a student to repeat a grade, the school must convene a retention committee and meet with the parent to discuss retention. The meeting must be conducted in person, unless the parent agrees to alternative means. A student may not be retained for a grade if the parent does not meet with the retention committee.

The retention committee will be composed of the principal or designee, the student’s parent, the teacher who taught the grade for which the parent wants the student retained, and additional teachers at the discretion of the principal. During the retention meeting, LTS and the parent will discuss the merits of and concerns with advancement and retention, and review and consider the student’s grade in each subject, the results of any formative or summative assessments administered to the student, and any other available academic information to determine the student’s academic readiness for the next grade. After the parent has participated in a retention committee meeting, the parent shall decide whether the student should be retained. LTS must abide by the parent’s decision.

A parent’s ability to elect for a student to be retained in the grade level in grades 4 and above will expire on September 1, 2026.