April 2, 2020
Dear Parents,
When developing an academic calendar, school administrators are always careful to include tentative plans for possible school closures due to inclement weather. An extended school closure due to a global health pandemic has not previously been a consideration. However, in recent weeks, both state and local education leaders have encountered unforeseen challenges due to COVID-19. In response, our community has reacted with flexibility, compassion, and grace, and for that, we thank you!
The Mississippi Department of Education met on March 26, 2020, to discuss the extraordinary circumstances of this not-so-traditional school year and to grant school districts the flexibility needed to educate our students without the constraints of state assessments and other mandated requirements. Today, the DeSoto County School Board met and approved several changes to our board policies. Our students are always our number one priority, and we believe these policy changes demonstrate our commitment to serving students and families during these challenging times.
Kindergarten:
· The Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (post-test) will not be administered.
· The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) will not be administered.
· Students will be promoted based on mastery of the standards taught during the first three nine weeks.
· Before any student is retained in kindergarten, a consensus among the parent, teacher, and administrator must be met.
First – Fifth Grades:
· Students who have an average of 60 or higher in mathematics and English/language arts for the first three nine weeks will be promoted to the next grade.
· If a student’s average is a 59 or below in English/language arts or mathematics, a consensus among the parent, teacher, and administrator must be met in order to retain the student.
· Science and social studies will not be considered for promotion or retention.
· During the school closure, teachers will post weekly assignments on their teacher websites.
· If students do not have access to digital assignments, paper packets will be available for “porch pick-up” at each school site.
· The purpose of the digital assignments and/or paper packets is to provide students with educational opportunities while the schools are closed. Students are not required to return these assignments, and they will not negatively affect students’ grades.
· The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) and MAAP-Alternate will not be administered.
· The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) will not be administered.
Sixth – Eighth Grades:
· Students who have an average of a 60 or higher in English and mathematics for the first three nine weeks will be promoted to the next grade.
· If a student’s average falls between 45 and 59 in English and mathematics for the first three nine weeks, a consensus among the parent, teacher, and administrator must be met in order to retain the student.
· If a student has an average below 45 for first three nine weeks in English or mathematics, it is mathematically impossible for that student to meet the required 60 average; therefore, that student will be retained.
· Middle school students who are in credit bearing courses will be given every opportunity to successfully complete the core content of the class and earn the Carnegie Unit. Grades for fourth nine weeks will be utilized as learning opportunities and can only improve a student’s average, not hurt it.
· Science and social studies will not be considered for promotion or retention.
· During the school closure, teachers will post weekly assignments on their teacher websites.
· If students do not have access to digital assignments, paper packets will be available for “porch pick-up” at each school site.
· The purpose of the digital assignments and/or paper packets is to provide students with educational opportunities while the schools are closed. Students are not required to return these assignments, and they will not negatively affect students’ grades.
· The Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) and MAAP-Alternate will not be administered.
· The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) will not be administered.
Ninth – Twelfth Grades:
Assessment:
· The U.S. History, Biology I, Algebra I, and English II end-of-course assessments will not be administered.
o If a student is currently enrolled in one of these four classes and he or she passes the course, the student will not be required to pass the assessment for graduation.
o If a student has previously passed the course, but not the assessment, he or she will not be required to pass the assessment in order to graduate.
· The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) will not be administered.
· The Career Planning and Assessment System (CPAS) will not be administered.
Instruction and Grading:
· Students who have an average of 60 or higher in a course taken during the second semester will receive a Carnegie Unit for the course.
· If a student is enrolled in a .5 credit course during the fourth nine weeks, he or she will be given every opportunity to complete the course requirements (digital learning/paper packets). If a student is enrolled in a .5 credit course for fourth nine weeks, he or she will be given the opportunity to drop the course and take it next school year.
· All dual credit courses have transitioned to online courses. Students enrolled in these courses must continue to complete the assignments online and meet the requirements outlined by the colleges.
· Any student who was assigned remediation work for the third nine weeks prior to spring break will be given the opportunity to complete the work, and grades will be updated. All remediation work is due on or before April 13.
· All students will be given every opportunity to successfully pass the core content in all semester, full-credit courses in which they are currently enrolled. Grades for fourth nine weeks will be utilized as learning opportunities and can only improve a student’s average, not hurt it.
During this challenging time, our goal is to enact policies that err on the side of the individual students. We hope that intent is evident in these policy changes. If you have any questions about your child's progress, please email your teacher, counselor, or principal. They will be glad to help you through this process.
