Per Virginia Regulation 8 VAC 20-131-270.B, every DCPS parent is to be notified of the current Promotion, Retention and Remediation Policies (Policy IKFAA):

Policy IKFAA:
The goal of every educator in Dinwiddie County is to provide educational experiences on a daily basis, which will ensure every student multiple opportunities to successfully master the standards necessary for promotion to the next grade level.

Promotion, retention, or administrative placement of a pupil is always based on a primary concern for what is in the best interest of the student. Academic progress within the classroom and performance on the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments shall be the major criteria in determining promotion to the next grade level.

Promotion, retention, or administrative placement of a student shall be recommended by the classroom teacher individually or in consultation with other staff members who work with the student. In most cases, the Child Study Team shall serve as the avenue for such consultation. The promotion, retention, or administrative placement process must provide ongoing communication with the parents. The report card is one, and only one, means of sharing pertinent information.

Specific grading procedures and the current grading scale can be found on the Dinwiddie County Public School’s website: www.dinwiddie.k12.va.us/students/grading-procedures/ and www.dinwiddie.k12.va.us/students/grading-scale/

Elementary Guidelines for K-5 Promotion, Retention, or Administrative Placement

  1. Classroom performance on grade level standards and objectives shall be the primary consideration in the promotion decision. Classroom performance in math or reading at 69% or below shall trigger a promotion/retention meeting. Parents shall receive notification by the end of the first semester if his/her child is in danger of retention in his/her present grade.
  2. Standardized test scores, benchmark tests, and end of year cumulative tests, attendance, report card performance, remediation attendance/participation and level of mastery of Standards of Learning strands shall be considered in making promotion/retention decisions in Grades K-2. In grades of subject areas where Standards of Learning assessments (SOLs) are administered, the test results shall also be part of the decision process (Grades 3-5).
  3. Students should not be retained more than once in grades K-2 and in 3-5.
  4. Parents shall be notified as soon as promotion is in jeopardy. A meeting will be held wherein a student’s work samples and the intervention strategies being employed can be shared.
  5. Administrative placement is a transfer of a student who is making marginal academic progress and who is placed at the next grade level because of extenuating circumstances, including but not limited to instructional, social, emotional, age-related, previous retentions or other pertinent factors. No student may be administratively placed at the middle school without the prior approval of the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee.
  6. The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) Team shall determine the promotion, retention, or administrative placement of students with an IEP.
  7. During the final marking period, a conference with the parent/guardian shall be scheduled to discuss the final decision regarding retention of the student. If a parent/guardian does not attend, a written summary shall be forwarded to them within five calendar days.
  8. All decisions shall be made following policy and guidelines, and shall be in the best interest of the child. A parent may file a written appeal of the retention decision.