Grade Promotion and Placement
Grade promotion and the placement of students within the District’s instructional system shall be at the discretion of the school administration and shall be subject to review at any time. In making such decisions, the administrator or Building Principal will be guided by: performance in class; past records, including various measures of student growth; recommendations from parents or persons in parental relation to the student, and teachers; and any other appropriate sources of information. With regard to student placement decisions, parents may provide information concerning their child that may be helpful for consideration in the placement process; however, requests for specific teachers will not be honored.
Testing Program
The Niskayuna Central School District utilizes various ability, achievement, diagnostic, readiness, interest and guidance tests for the purpose of complying with state and federal law and to aid in implementing quality educational services. The District will not make any student promotion or placement decisions based solely or primarily on student performance on the state administered English language arts and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through 8. The District may, however, consider student performance on such state assessments in making student promotion and placement decisions provided that multiple measures be used in addition to such assessments and that such assessments do not constitute the major factor in such determinations.
Alternative Testing Procedures
The use of alternative testing procedures shall be limited to:
a) Students identified by the Committee on Special Education and/or Section 504 Team as having a disability. Alternative testing procedures shall be specified in a student’s Individualized Education Program or Section 504 Accommodation Plan; and
b) Students whose native language is other than English (i.e., English language learners) in accordance with State Education Department Guidelines.
The alternative testing procedures employed shall be based upon a student’s individual needs and the type of test administered.
The District shall report the use of alternative testing procedures to the State Education Department on a form and at a time prescribed by the Commissioner.
Reporting to Parents and Persons in Parental Relation to Students
Parents and/or persons in parental relation to District students shall receive an appropriate report of student progress at regular intervals.
The District will not include on a student’s official transcript or maintain in a student’s permanent record any individual student score on a state administered standardized English language arts or mathematics assessment for grades 3 through 8. However, the District will comply with state and federal requirements regarding the maintenance and transfer of student test scores. Any test results on a state administered standardized English language arts or mathematics assessment for grades 3 through 8 sent to parents or persons in parental relation to a student shall include a clear and conspicuous notice that such results will not be included on the student’s official transcript or in the student’s permanent record and are being provided to the student and parents for diagnostic purposes.
Permanent records are those that survive beyond student graduation. When necessary, attempts will be made to provide interpreters for non-English speaking parents and/or persons in parental relation to District students.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 USC Section 794 et seq.
Education Law Sections 305(45) – (47), 1709(3)
8 NYCRR Sections 100.2(g), 100.2(ll), 100.3(b)(2)(iv), 100.4(b)(2)(v), 100.4(e)(6)
8 NYCRR Parts 117 and 154
Adopted February 27, 2017