Georgia Academic Placement and Promotion Policy

According to DeKalb Schools’ 2014 CRCT Scores
20% of the third graders did not meet ELA standards
34% of the fifth graders did not meet Math standards
35% of the eighth graders did not meet Math standards

The Georgia Academic Placement and Promotion Policy requires that students in third grade must meet or exceed standards in reading on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) in order to be promoted to the next grade. Students in fifth and eighth grade must meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in Reading and Mathematics in order to be promoted.

The goal is to assure that students are performing at grade level in these key academic areas before moving on to the next grade. It is the policy of the DeKalb County Board of Education to comply with the requirement of the Georgia Academic Placement and Promotion Policy.
When a student does not perform at grade level on the CRCT and also does not perform at grade level on a second additional opportunity, then the principal or the principal’s designee shall retain the student for the next school year except as otherwise provided in this paragraph and in accordance with O.C.G.A. 20-2-283. The school principal or the principal’s designee shall notify in writing by first-class mail the parent or guardian of the student and the teacher regarding the decision to retain the student. The notice shall describe the option of the parent, guardian or teacher to appeal the decision to retain the student and shall further describe the composition and function of the placement committee including the requirement that a decision to promote the student must be a unanimous decision of the committee.
Students must be retested on the Reading and/or Mathematics CRCT if they did not meet or exceed expectations. If the student does not meet expectations on the retest, the parent must be notified in writing of the decision to retain the student and instructions on how to appeal the decision.