Grades 1-3 Requirements
Grades 1-3 ProceduresGrades 4–8 Requirements
Grades 4–8 Procedures:School/District Assistance
Family Role
Student RoleThe Houston Independent School District’s Promotion Standards policy requires students to demonstrate that they have learned what the State of Texas requires public-school children to learn before they are promoted to the next grade.
HISD has set guidelines for measuring each student’s level of achievement. Assistance will be provided to the student to improve his or her performance, as needed.
Our goal is to help all students move forward with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful at the next grade level. Students and parents will work together with the school to achieve this goal.
Grades 1–3 Requirements:
A. All students in grades 1–3 must meet current Texas course-average requirements: a 70 overall average of all course grades, including a 70 or better grade in reading, language arts, mathematics, and in either science or social studies.
B. Students in grades 1 and 2 must earn a passing score on HISD’s High-Frequency Word Evaluation. Students in grade 3 must earn a passing score on the reading section of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS).
C. All students in grades 1–3 must score no lower than one grade level below grade-level placement in reading on the Stanford 9/Aprenda 2 tests. (Example: A third-grade child taking the test in February would need to score at least 2.6 because the child’s actual grade-level placement is third grade, six months, or 3.6.)
Grades 1–3 Procedures:
Schools will use the policy at the end of the school year to decide whether students in grades 1–3 will be promoted using the following guidelines:
- Students who fail to meet state course-average requirements will be retained. If the student was successful on requirements B and C and successfully completes summer school, the Grade Placement Committee will review achievement to determine the student’s status for the fall.
- Students who fail to achieve requirement B or C but who have met state course-average requirements must attend summer school. After the student attends summer school, the Grade Placement Committee will review achievement to determine the student’s status for the fall.
- Students who fail to demonstrate achievement on requirements B and C but who have met state course-average requirements must attend summer school. The student will have the opportunity to pass the TAAS requirement at the end of summer school. The Grade Placement Committee will review achievement to determine the student’s status for the fall.
Note: Promotion decisions for students in Special Education will be made by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee; the Language Proficiency Advisory Committee (LPAC) makes promotion decisions for students with limited English proficiency.
Grades 4–8 Requirements:
A. All students in grades 4–8 must meet current Texas course-average requirements: a 70 average of all course grades, including a 70 or better grade in reading, language arts, mathematics, and in either science or social studies in Grades 4 and 5 OR 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 in grades 6–8.
B. All students in grades 4–8 must earn a passing score on the reading and mathematics sections of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS).
C. All students in grades 4–8 must score no lower than the grade-level standard set for that school year on the Stanford 9/Aprenda 2 tests. For the 1999–2000 school year students in the fourth grade must score no lower than 3.1; fifth grade, 3.6; sixth grade, 3.6; seventh grade, 4.6; and eighth grade, 5.6. As the new promotion standards produce improved performance results for students entering grades 4–8, the standard will be raised regularly until all students are required to score no lower than one grade level below their placement.
Grades 4–8 Procedures:
Schools will use the policy to decide promotion at the end of the school year following these guidelines:
- Students who fail to meet state course-average requirements will be retained. If the student was successful on requirements B and C and completes summer school, the Grade Placement Committee will review achievement to determine the student’s status for the fall.
- Students who fail to achieve requirement B or C in either reading or mathematics but who have met state course-average requirements must attend summer school. After the student attends summer school, the Grade Placement Committee will review achievement to determine the student’s status for the fall.
- Students who fail to demonstrate achievement on requirements B and C in either reading or mathematics but who have met state course-average requirements must attend summer school. The student will have the opportunity to pass the TAAS requirement at the end of summer school. After summer school, the Grade Placement Committee will review achievement to determine the student’s status for the fall.
Note: Promotion decisions for students in Special Education will be made by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee; the Language Proficiency Advisory Committee (LPAC) makes promotion decisions for students with limited English proficiency.
School/District Assistance
As soon as a student’s performance indicates the student might fail, the classroom teachers, specialists at the school, and/or district specialists will take steps to help the student improve. Teachers will communicate with parents regarding student progress and improvement plans as soon as they see problems in student achievement. Parents must work with their children and the school to help the student meet promotion standards.
Family Role
To help your child meet promotion standards:
- Ask your child daily about what he/she did in school.
- Ask about and follow homework study plans.
- Plan family learning activities that will reinforce your child’s learning.
- Make and use oral or written contracts with your child and his/her teachers.
- Participate in school events so that your child knows you think school is important.
- Attend teacher/parent conferences regularly.
- Ask the school for TAAS Parent Study Guides and use them at home.
- Be sure that children are in school every day for the full day.
- Make doctor and dentist appointments during nonschool hours.
- Read with your child for at least 15 minutes every night.
Student Role
To meet promotion standards, students should:
- Follow homework study plans.
- Attend school regularly and be on time.
- Bring supplies to class.
- Get organized!
- write down assignments in a notebook
- set aside homework time each day
- create a special place at home to put school materials for the next day
- Ask questions when they don’t understand what is being taught.
- Respect themselves, other students, and school authorities.
- Attend after-school/Saturday tutorials if available.
- Ask teachers for extra help when they need it.