Student promotion plan available for review

St. Mary Parish public schools’ Pupil Progression Plan, a manual updated annually that outlines promotional policies, is available for inspection by the public.
Assistant Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said the plan also outlines educational offerings and various guidelines districts use to determine academic policies.
“The state provides districts with a PPP template that lists state policy and poses questions the district must answer as to how that particular policy is implemented within the district (i.e. kindergarten entrance, transfer students, grading, assistance for students with disabilities, etc.),” Bagwell explained via email this morning.
In regard to the testing program, it is primarily mentioned as it relates to student promotion and does not list a specific test. The phrase used to identify the test in the 2014-15 pupil progression plan is “state mandated assessment,” Bagwell said.
Gov. Bobby Jindal issued an executive order June 18 requiring competitive bidding for public school standardized tests in an attempt to derail Louisiana’s use of tests linked to Common Core education standards.
The Department of Education planned to use Common Core-tied tests known as PARCC for students in third through eighth grades. Jindal says requiring a competitive bid for the test will stop use of PARCC.
Superintendent of Education John White and state education board chairman Chas Roemer disagree, saying they intend to continue the roll-out of Common Core and plan to use the PARCC test under their existing authority.
At the regular meeting of the St. Mary Parish School Board on Aug. 7, changes in the Pupil Progression Plan are on the agenda to be discussed. Once the changes are adopted, they will be submitted to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The policies in the local plan will be incorporated into the policies and procedures manual of the St. Mary Parish School Board.
Copies of the completed Pupil Progression Plan are on public display at the Central Office Complex in Centerville.
A parent review of the plan will be held at 1 p.m. July 29 in the board room at the Central Office Complex.