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High School - 9-12 » AB-104 Pupil instruction: retention, grade changes, and exemptions

AB-104 Pupil instruction: retention, grade changes, and exemptions

Assembly Bill (AB) 104 requires school districts to implement policies that give students opportunities to counteract the impact of the pandemic on students' academic achievement and graduation credits. The new law, which went into effect on July 1, 2021, includes options that include requesting retention for eligible students, as noted below, changing grades to a Pass or No Pass for students enrolled in high school last year, and waiving local district graduation requirements that exceed the state credit and course minimums for students who were juniors or seniors in the 2020-21 school year.  

Education Code section 49066.5 (AB 104) establishes that a parent, which includes the natural or adoptive parent or guardian, the person having legal custody, or other educational rights holder, or a student who is age 18 or older and enrolled in high school during the 2020-21 school year, may apply for one or more of their child's letter grades for a course, taken during the 2020-21 school year in high school, to be changed to a Pass or No Pass on the student’s transcript. There is no limit as to the number or type of courses eligible for this grade change application. The grade change application shall not negatively affect the student’s grade point average or result in the forfeiture of a student’s eligibility for athletics or school programs.

 

The grade change application must be submitted to WISH Academy on or before Tuesday,  August 31, 2021. WISH will not accept applications after that date. WISH is required to make the change of a student’s grade from a letter grade to a Pass (A-D) or No Pass (F) within 15 days of the request and will notify the student and student’s parent or guardian that the grade was changed.

 

If WISH Academy does not receive an application to change a transcript by August 31st, 2021, the letter grade(s) earned in the 2020-21 school year will remain on your child's transcript. Please note some postsecondary educational institutions, including those in other states, may not accept a Pass or No Pass grade instead of a letter grade for admission purposes.

GRADE CHANGE - PASS/NO PASS - QUESTIONS AND PROCEDURES

 

WHO CAN REQUEST THE GRADE CHANGE(S)? A parent (natural or adoptive parent), guardian, the adult having legal custody, or other educational rights holder, or a student who is 18 years old or older, may request one or more high school grades received during the 2020-21 school year be changed to Pass or No Pass.

 

WHAT ACADEMIC MARKS ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE CHANGED TO A PASS (P) OR NO PASS (NP)? A grade of an A, B, C or D may convert to a Pass (P) and a Fail (F) may convert to a No Pass (NP).

 

WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR A GRADE CHANGE REQUEST TO BE MADE?  The grade change application must be submitted to your child's school on or before Tuesday, August 31, 2021.  The school is required to make the change of a student’s grade within 15 days of the request and will notify the student and student’s parent/guardian that the grade was changed. Please CLICK HERE for the grade change request form.

 

WHERE DO I SUBMIT A COMPLETED GRADE CHANGE REQUEST FORM? All completed forms should be delivered in person to the WISH Charter office site for your child or emailed to your school principal using the following email subject line: AB104 Grade Change.  WISH Office & Principal Contact Details below:

 

for admission purposes?

WILL CSUs, UCs and/or OTHER POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS ACCEPT A GRADE OF PASS OR NO PASS FOR ADMISSION PURPOSES? The California State University system shall, and the University of California system and private postsecondary educational institutions have been encouraged to, accept for admission purposes, and without prejudice, a transcript with a Pass or No Pass grade instead of a letter grade for any coursework for all applicants from the 2020-21 school year to the 2023-24 school year, inclusive. Please note that some postsecondary educational institutions, including those in other states, may not accept a Pass or No Pass grade instead of a letter grade for admissions purposes.

 

Please CLICK HERE to find a list of post-secondary institutions that will accept a Pass/No Pass grade for admission Purposes.

INTERIM RETENTION

Education Code section 48071, as part of Assembly Bill (AB) 104, establishes an interim retention process, applicable only to eligible pupils who were enrolled in WISH grades K-11 during the 2020-2021 school year. An “eligible pupil” is defined as a pupil who has received deficient grades for at least one-half of the pupil’s coursework in the 2020–21 academic year.  For purposes of this policy, a deficient grade is a D, F, or a No Pass at the secondary level, or 1s at the elementary level, as determined by the District. By statute, a pupil enrolled in grade 12 during the 2020-2021 school year shall not be eligible for retention under this policy. Parents, which include the natural or adoptive parent or guardian, the person having legal custody or other education rights holder, or a student who is age 18 or older, may request retention under this process.  This policy is only in effect for the 2021-2022 school year.

Grade Retention refers to a child repeating their current grade level again the following year. Social Promotion is the act of promoting a student who is expected to master grade level standards, at the same rate and pace as their peers, to the next grade level, even though they have not satisfied academic requirements or met performance standards of key grades.

Possible Educational & Social-Emotional Outcomes of Retention & Social Promotion
Retention:
· Grade retention appears to harm the adjustment of young people leading to lower self-esteem.
· Achievement declines within 2-3 years of retention.
· Students who were retained are 5–11 times more likely to drop out of school.
· Grade retention reduces high school credits.

Promotion:
· Promoting a child who has academic or behavioral struggles to the next grade, without additional support,         does not help the child, and intervention and support are necessary for optimal success.
· Being socially promoted more than once increases the chance that students will be held back in the ninth grade.


Any parent, including the natural or adoptive parent or guardian, the person having legal custody, or other educational rights holder, may request a consultation for retention for an eligible pupil. Please email your child’s principal with the subject Interim Retention Application to set up a team meeting. WISH administration has 30 days to set up this meeting. For more information on Interim

LOCAL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS EXEMPTION

 

Education Code section 51225 was amended by AB 104 to establish an interim graduation exemption process.  AB 104 only applies to eligible pupils who were enrolled in their third or fourth year of high school during the 2020-2021 school year and who are not on track to graduate in four years from all WISH Academy graduation requirement coursework and additional requirements. There is no action required from eligible students. WISH Academy Counselor Anna Szczubelek will contact students and the parent or legal guardian of students eligible for this interim graduation exemption process.