PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS
Grades 4–8 Requirements and Procedures
Requirements
A. All students in grades 4–8 must meet the state course-average requirements of a 70 overall grade-point average of all courses and the HISD requirement of a 70 or better grade-point average in reading, language arts, mathematics, and either science or social studies in grades 4 and 5. In grades 6–8 students must earn a grade-point average an average of 70 or above in three of the four core courses: language arts (average of reading and English), mathematics, science, and social studies.
B. All students in grades 4–8 must earn a passing score on the reading and mathematics sections of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). All students in grades 5 and 8, on one of the three testing opportunities provided, must earn a passing score on the reading and mathematics sections of the TAKS.
C. All students in grades 4 through 8 must score at or above the standards set for that school year in reading and math on the norm-referenced tests for 2008–2009.
Aprenda Stanford (Raw Score)
| Total Reading | Total Math | |
| Grade 4 standard = 3.4 | 64 | 37 |
| Grade 5 standard = 3.9 | 44 | 30 |
| Grade 6 standard = 3.9 | 39 | 20 |
| Grade 7 standard = 4.9 | 36 | 17 |
| Grade 8 standard = 5.9 | 40 | 19 |
Procedures
Schools will use the policy to decide promotion at the end of the school year following these guidelines:
- Students who fail to meet course-average requirements will be retained. If the student meets state course-average requirements at the end of summer school and was successful on requirements B and C, the student will be promoted.
- Students who fail to achieve requirement B or C but who have met course-average requirements will be retained and must attend summer school. Fifth- and eighth-grade students will have a third opportunity to pass the reading and mathematics TAKS requirements at the end of summer school. A student who fails to earn a passing score on either the reading or math section during one of the three TAKS administrations will be automatically retained, as required by state law. Only a parent may appeal this retention. A parent may request that the Grade Placement Committee (GPC) review achievement and determine whether the fifth- or eighth-grade student will be promoted on the basis of results of the third administration of the TAKS test. The decision of the GPC must be unanimous in order for the student to be promoted.
- Students who fail to demonstrate achievement on requirements B and C in either reading or mathematics but who have met course-average requirements will be retained and must attend summer school. After summer school, the GPC will review achievement and determine whether the student will be promoted.
- Students who have met the academic promotion standards (A, B, and C) but have more than 7 percent unexcused absences will be retained. The principal (for students absent less than 25 percent of class days) or School Attendance Committee (for students absent more than 25 percent of class days) may grant credit to the student on the basis of information provided through a parental appeal process.
Note: Promotion decisions for students in Special Education will be made by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee; the Grade Placement Committee makes promotion decisions for students with limited English proficiency in consultation with a member of the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee.