The Student Accountability Plan

Terms and Definitions

Parent Fact Card (pdf 422K)
Arabic
Farsi
Korean
Spanish
Urdu
Vietnamese

Promotion Benchmarks

A key component of the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) comprehensive accountability model is student accountability. To be successful in school, students, with the support of their parents, must come to school regularly, make an effort to participate positively in class, and complete assignments. The Student Accountability Plan requires elementary and middle school students to meet specific academic Promotion Benchmarks at the end of each grade from kindergarten through eighth grade. Promotion Benchmarks define essential foundational knowledge and skills that a student needs. Students who do not meet these Promotion Benchmarks will need additional time and, perhaps, different instructional approaches to gain the skills and knowledge represented by the benchmarks to make sure that they are successful in later grades. High school students must earn the established Standards of Learning (SOL) verified credits and meet course requirements for high school graduation with a standard or Advanced Studies diploma. Thus, the Student Accountability Plan begins in elementary school and continues through high school.

back to top

Student Accountability Plan - Designed to support the educational success of each student. The plan requires elementary and middle school students to meet specific academic Promotion Benchmarks at the end of each grade from kindergarten through eighth grade. Depending upon the degree to which a student does not meet promotion criteria, he/she will be retained or conditionally promoted to the next grade level and receive focused remediation.

Promotion Benchmarks - A specific set of academic requirements used with students at risk of failure. Promotion Benchmarks represent foundational skills and knowledge found in the FCPS Program of Studies and Virginia Standards.

Promotion - Advancement to the next grade level.

Conditional Promotion - Advancement to the next grade level contingent on receiving focused remedial support to complete mastery of Promotion Benchmarks. Students who are conditionally promoted are required to attend summer school. After summer school, a student may be promoted, conditionally promoted to the next grade level, or retained based on progress toward attaining the Promotion Benchmarks.

Retention - Repetition of the current grade level resulting from failure to demonstrate substantial progress toward achievement of benchmarks.

Focused Remediation - Specific instruction designed to provide conditionally promoted and retained students additional assistance in meeting the Promotion Benchmarks.

back to top