Promotion and Retention Policy

In accordance with Orange County Public Schools, students who entered the 6th grade for the first time during the 2006-2007 school year and after must meet the following guidelines for promotion to the next grade level. These guidelines include state mandated course requirements and criteria for promotion from middle school to high school. 

 

In order to be promoted to the next grade level students must:

  • Pass a minimum of 4 out of 6 classes of which 3 must be core academic classes. Pass is defined as earning a D or higher. Core academic classes include math, science, language arts and social studies.
  • Earn a level 2 or higher on the FCAT Reading SSS Test

Students who meet the requirement for earning a level 2 or higher on the FCAT Reading SSS Test but do not meet requirements for passing classes will be retained.

Students who meet the requirement for passing classes but do not earn a level 2 or higher on the FCAT Reading SSS Test will be retained unless they qualify for an FCAT Exemption. FCAT Exemptions refer to learner characteristics or proof of mastery as demonstrated on alternative tests as defined by OCPS. Students falling into this category after their 8th grade year (who do not qualify for an exemption) will have the opportunity to attend a summer reading camp. If the student makes sufficient progress in this camp session as documented by learning gains in reading, the student may be promoted to Grade 9 pending final promotion requirements for middle to high school (see below). If the student does not make sufficient progress as indicated by an alternate assessment measure, the student will be retained.

 

In order to be promoted from middle to high school students must:

  1. Proceed through promotion requirements from 6th - 8th grade (as stated above).
  2. Successfully pass and complete 3 courses in each core academic area of math, science, language arts and social studies. (Total of 12 courses.)
  3. Successfully pass and complete a course containing the Career Planning component including completion of an EPEP (Electronic Personal Education Plan) as required by the FL-DOE. (Conway Middle School 7th gr. Career Education course)

Course Recovery Requirements:

Although students may be promoted to their next grade level, those students who do not successfully pass and complete 3 years of each core academic course (math, science, language arts and social studies) must recover (retake and pass) each failed course prior to promotion to high school. In order to meet this requirement, Conway Middle School offers course recovery through a web based, online Compass Learning Program. Students are required to contact their grade level guidance counselor to make arrangements to retake each course. Failure to recover courses in a timely manner resulting in the student’s inability to meet minimal promotion requirements from middle to high school (as stated in #2 above), will result in the student’s retention in middle school.

Specific questions related to promotion requirements shall be directed to the student’s grade level guidance counselor.