A. Remediation programs, academic improvement programs and promotion policies shall be aligned with school-district-determined assessment results and requirements of the state assessment and accountability program.

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B. Local school boards shall approve school-district-developed remediation programs and academic improvement programs to provide special instructional assistance to students in grades one through eight who do not demonstrate academic proficiency. The cost of remediation programs and academic improvement programs shall be borne by the school district. Remediation programs and academic improvement programs shall be incorporated into the school district’s educational plan for student success and filed with the department.

C. The cost of summer and extended day remediation programs and academic improvement programs offered in grades nine through twelve shall be borne by the parent; however, where parents are determined to be indigent according to guidelines established by the department, the school district shall bear those costs.

D. Diagnosis of weaknesses identified by a student’s academic achievement may serve as criteria in assessing the need for remedial programs or retention.

E. A parent shall be notified no later than the end of the second grading period that the parent’s child is not academically proficient, and a conference consisting of the parent and the teacher shall be held to discuss possible remediation programs available to assist the student in becoming academically proficient. Specific academic deficiencies and remediation strategies shall be explained to the student’s parent and a written intervention plan developed containing time lines, academic expectations and the measurements to be used to verify that a student has overcome academic deficiencies. Remediation programs and academic improvement programs include tutoring, extended day or week programs, summer programs and other research-based interventions and models for student improvement.

F. At the end of grades one through seven, three options are available, dependent on a student’s academic proficiency:

grade;

(1)     the student is academically proficient and shall enter the next higher (2)     the student is not academically proficient and shall participate in the required level of remediation. Upon certification by the school district that the student is academically proficient, the student shall enter the next higher grade; or

(3)     the student is not academically proficient after completion of the prescribed remediation program and upon the recommendation of the teacher and school principal shall either be:

(a) retained in the same grade for no more than one school year with an academic improvement plan developed by the student assistance team in order to become academically proficient, at which time the student shall enter the next higher grade; or

(b) promoted to the next grade if the parent refuses to allow the child to be retained pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph. In this case, the parent shall sign a waiver indicating the parent’s desire that the student be promoted to the next higher grade with an academic improvement plan designed to address specific academic deficiencies. The academic improvement plan shall be developed by the student assistance team outlining time lines and monitoring activities to ensure progress toward overcoming those academic deficiencies. Students failing to become academically proficient at the end of that year as measured by grades, performance on school district assessments and other measures identified by the school district shall be retained in the same grade for no more than one year in order to have additional time to achieve academic proficiency.

G. At the end of the eighth grade, a student who is not academically proficient shall be retained in the eighth grade for no more than one school year to become academically proficient or if the student assistance team determines that retention of the student in the eighth grade will not assist the student to become academically proficient, the team shall design a high school graduation plan to meet the student’s needs for

entry into the work force or a post-secondary educational institution. If a student is retained in the eighth grade, the student assistance team shall develop a specific academic improvement plan that clearly delineates the student’s academic deficiencies and prescribes a specific remediation plan to address those academic deficiencies.

H. A student who does not demonstrate academic proficiency for two successive school years shall be referred to the student assistance team for placement in an alternative program designed by the school district. Alternative program plans shall be filed with the department.

I. Promotion and retention decisions affecting a student enrolled in special education shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the individual educational plan established for that student.

J. For the purposes of this section:

(1)     “academic improvement plan” means a written document developed by the student assistance team that describes the specific content standards required for a certain grade level that a student has not achieved and that prescribes specific remediation programs such as summer school, extended day or week school and tutoring;

(2)     “school-district-determined assessment results” means the results obtained from student assessments developed or adopted by a local school board and conducted at an elementary grade level or middle school level;

(3)     “educational plan for student success” means a student-centered tool developed to define the role of the academic improvement plan within the public school and the school district that addresses methods to improve student learning and success in school and that identifies specific measures of a student’s progress; and

(4)     “student assistance team” means a group consisting of a student’s: (a) teacher;

(b) school counselor;

(c) school administrator; and

(d) parent.