What are the criteria for failing & repeating grade?

[Anonymous]

I am not from here. DH (local here) tells me that mcps won't fail kid & ask kid to repeat grade unless it is really extreme. Correct? My youngest may have learning problem, and she is still struggling with 26 letters and 1-10 numbers. She can't write or read any words and she is going to be K mainstream this fall. She has been in private daycare since 3 months old that has preschool program.

It is not the private daycare/preschool fault, and her IEP teachers knows that she is struggling on these. She has IEP. Is it true that they won't fail and let her go to next grade every year even she is falling behind? What is the criteria of repeating same grade?

[Anonymous]

Have you had her screened for dyslexia? Be aware that MCPS is generally terrible about supporting kids with learning disabilities.

It is true that a lot of public schools don’t really make kids repeat grades.

If you’re able to get her a private neuropsych eval, I’d do so. Also look into specialized schools like the McLean School.

I would also post on the SN forum here. It’s a wealth of knowledge from parents who have been through this.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

This is the regulation that covers Placement, Promotion, Acceleration, and Retention of Students:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jebra.pdf

[Anonymous]

Do post on the Kids With Special Needs forum. A kid who doesn’t know letters and numbers going into K, despite years of preschool exposure, is indeed a flag for dyslexia. However, a preschool wouldn’t flag that and get you an IEP usually. I imagine there are other things going on that caused the need for an IEP?

Essentially if your child has an IEP they don’t just fail them and hold them back. There will be lots of meetings and discussions and, eventually if needed, discussion of a school situation that does allow them to learn (whatever that might look like).

You can start a new post in the other forum or ask Jeff to move this one over there. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Your DH is right. MCPS is not going to fail and repeat a kindergartener.

I think the earliest that could happen is middle school, where the stakes are considered higher than elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the regulation that covers Placement, Promotion, Acceleration, and Retention of Students:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jebra.pdf

Particularly:

"For students in prekindergarten through Grade 2, promotion should be based
on age. Students who are not performing according to expectations are
provided additional assistance. Teachers must base their expectations on a
thorough understanding of the wide range of cognitive, physical, social and
emotional developmental levels which are typical for this age group. "

"When a student in prekindergarten through Grade 8 is not attaining assigned
objectives, staff will initiate intervention strategies. If the student does not respond
to the strategies, the Educational Management Team will develop a plan for
educational support."

"For students in prekindergarten through Grade 2, retention is not expected to occur.
Students who are not performing according to expectations are provided additional
assistance."

[Anonymous]

Correct. They won’t repeat her. If she didn’t learn it the first time, repeating is just doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. Studies show it doesn’t work.

[Anonymous]

Just seconding the suggestion to hit "report" on your own OP and ask Jeff to move to the Special Needs Forum.

It sounds like you already have your child in the Early Intervention MCPS system, which is great news! The next step is to work with that team, and get external advice, on what interventions are needed to help your child access the curriculum.

Holding a child back only rarely works, and it works when maturity is the issue. If the issue is learning differences, then you need to figure out what you will ask MCPS to provide in order to move your child forward in the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Public system won’t let you repeat because it’s tax payers money. Letting kids repeat means more cost. But if you have special ed kid, the extra budget to support her learning might be granted.