Enrollment and Grade Level Placement
Admissions information can be found at https://www/stjohns.k12.fl.us/student/enrollment.
Reading Intervention Placement Guide 2024-2025 Middle School
Placement within Zoned School
The Customized Learning Path (CLP) is unique to each student and is based on his or her academic and career needs. Placement that facilitates optimal learning for each student shall be determined by established principles of growth and development, by the academic and career interests of students and by acquisition of subject area skills and competencies, consistent with school board rules and in accordance with state statues. The Superintendent has designated the principal of the school as the final authority in the placement of students in programs or classes.
State Policy on Placement of Transfer of Students in the Middle Grades as stated in School Board Rule SBR 6A-1.09942
The purpose of this rule is to establish uniform procedures relating to the acceptance of transfer work and courses for students entering Florida’s public school composed of middle grades 6, 7, and 8 from out if state or out of country. The procedures shall be as follows:
(1) Grades earned and offered for acceptance shall be based on official transcripts and shall be accepted at face value subject to validation if required by the receiving school’s accreditation. If validation of the official transcript is deemed necessary, or if the student does not possess an official transcript or is a home education student, successful completion of courses shall be validated through performance during the first grading period as outlined in subsection (2) of this rule.
(2) Validation of courses shall be based on performance in classes at the receiving school. A student transferring into a school shall be placed at the appropriate sequential course level and should be passing each required course at the end of the first grading period. Students who do not meet this requirement shall have courses validated using the Alternative Validation Procedure, as outlined in subsection (3) of this rule.
(3) Alternative Validation Procedure. If validation based on performance as described above is not satisfactory, them any one of the following alternatives identified in the district student progression plan shall be used for validation purposes as determined by the teacher, principal, and parent/legal guardian:
(a) Portfolio evaluation by the superintendent or designee;
(b) Demonstrated performance in courses taken at other public or private accredited schools;
(c) Demonstrated proficiencies on nationally-normed standardized subject area assessments;
(d) Demonstrated proficiencies on the FAST; or
(e) Written review of the criteria utilized for a given subject provided by the former school.
Students must be provided at least ninety (90) days from the date of transfer to prepare for assessments outlined in paragraphs (3)(c) and (d) of this rule if required.
School-to-School Placement
The purpose of this rule is to establish uniform procedures relating to the acceptance of transfer work and courses for students entering Florida’s public school composed of middle grades 6, 7, and 8 from out if state or out of country. The procedures shall be as follows:
(1) Grades earned and offered for acceptance shall be based on official transcripts and shall be accepted at face value subject to validation if required by the receiving school’s accreditation. If validation of the official transcript is deemed necessary, or if the student does not possess an official transcript or is a home education student, successful completion of courses shall be validated through performance during the first grading period as outlined in subsection (2) of this rule.
(2) Validation of courses shall be based on performance in classes at the receiving school. A student transferring into a school shall be placed at the appropriate sequential course level and should be passing each required course at the end of the first grading period. Students who do not meet this requirement shall have courses validated using the Alternative Validation Procedure, as outlined in subsection (3) of this rule.
(3) Alternative Validation Procedure. If validation based on performance as described above is not satisfactory, them any one of the following alternatives identified in the district student progression plan shall be used for validation purposes as determined by the teacher, principal, and parent/legal guardian:
(a) Portfolio evaluation by the superintendent or designee;
(b) Demonstrated performance in courses taken at other public or private accredited schools;
(c) Demonstrated proficiencies on nationally-normed standardized subject area assessments;
(d) Demonstrated proficiencies on the FAST; or
(e) Written review of the criteria utilized for a given subject provided by the former school.
Students must be provided at least ninety (90) days from the date of transfer to prepare for assessments outlined in paragraphs (3)(c) and (d) of this rule if required.
Requirements for Information Prior to Placement
Each student at the time of initial registration for school placement must note previous school expulsions, arrest resulting in a charge, arrest pending, and juvenile justice actions the student has had. Schools have the authority to honor the final order of expulsion or dismissal of a student by any in-state or out-of-state public district school board, private school, or lab school, for an act which would have been grounds for expulsion according to the SJCSD Code of Student Conduct, according to the following procedures:
- A final order of expulsion shall be recorded in the records of the receiving school.
- The expelled student applying for admission to the receiving school shall be advised of the final order of expulsion.
The superintendent or designee may recommend the School Board that the final order of expulsion be waived and the student be admitted to the school district, or that the final order of expulsion be honored and the student not be admitted to the school district If the student is admitted by the School Board, with or without the recommendation of the district school superintendent, the student may be placed in an appropriate educational program at the direction of the School Board.
Placement of Students on Community Control
For information regarding procedures when students are placed on community control, please refer to Florida Statue 948.101, Terms and Conditions of Probation. Florida Statute 948.03 specifically states that the court shall determine the terms and conditions of probation. Conditions specific in this section do not require oral pronouncement at the time of sentencing and may be considered standard conditions of probation. These conditions may include that the probationer or offender in community control shall:
- report to the probation and parole supervisors as directed, and
- permit such supervisors to visit him or her at his or her home or elsewhere.
Parent/Legal Guardian Role with Placement Decisions
State law provides the authority for placement of students with the school district. Placement is based on professional educators’ evaluations of how well the student is meeting the levels of performance for student progression. Such evaluations take into account whether or not the student has the knowledge and skills to move on successfully to the more difficult work of the next grade or course. Parents/legal guardians may discuss a placement with school officials and ask for an explanation of the placement, and they may review the evidence the school used to make the placement. There is not provision for voluntary retention or placement based solely on student or parental preference, F.S. 1008.25.
Parent/Legal Guardian Request for Change in Placement
Florida Statute 1003.3101 gives a parent/legal guardian the right to request his or her child be transferred to another classroom teacher based on (1) the teacher’s out of field certification status or (2) personal preference. This statute does not give the pare/legal guardian the right to choose a specific classroom teacher. Teachers with out-of-field certifications are named on our district website 30 days before the beginning of the semester. Parents/legal guardians may complete a Teacher Change Request form, which is also available on the district website and at schools. When the form is returned to the school, the parent/legal guardian will be contacted to schedule a conference (required). After the conference, the principal will either approve or deny the request with the rationale for the denial in writing. Schools must approve or deny the transfer within two weeks of receiving the request. Consistent with the school board rules and in accordance with state statute (1012.28 (5) F.S.), the Superintendent has designated the principal of the school as the final authority in the placement of students in programs or classes.
Placement in Intensive Reading
1008.25 F.S. For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 or 2 on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) in English Language Arts (ELA), the student may be enrolled in an Intensive Reading (IR) course the following year or a content-area course in which reading strategies are delivered based on a diagnosis of the student’s specific reading needs. Intensive Reading courses shall be designed and offered pursuant to the District’s Comprehensive Reading Student Progression Plan (CRP). Please refer to the section on reading support in this document and the CRP at https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/cs/crp/.
Placement from Accredited Schools in Grades 6-8
Students seeking initial placement in grades 6-8 from a home education program or an unaccredited charter public or private school shall be evaluated by the local school to determine the most appropriate grade level placement. Criteria to be considered shall include age and maturity, standardized achievements test results, state assessment results, progress as it relates to the Florida Standards and benchmarks, previous records from public or private schools and evidence from the student’s portfolio of work and achievement while in home education. In no instance shall the placement be automatic, based solely on the recommendation of the unaccredited public or private school, home educator, or age. The placement decision is subject to review and revision after school personnel have had the opportunity to observe the student’s work. Should there be reasonable suspicion of a student’s grades, initial assessments may be required to determine grade placement.
Instructional Support for Math
For each year in which a student scores at Level 1 or Level 2 on FAST for mathematics, the student may receive support for the following year. Support may be provided within the student’s regularly scheduled math class or through Foundational Skills Mathematics 6-8, elective credit, course. Please refer to the section on remediation in this document.
Termination of School Placement at Age 16
A student who attains the age of 16 years during the school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age, provided the student files a formal declaration must acknowledge that terminating school enrollment is likely to reduce the student’s earning potential and must be signed by the student and the student’s parent/legal guardian.
The following steps must also be taken:
- The school shall notify the student’s parent/legal guardian of receipt of the student’s declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment.
- The student’s school counselor or other school personnel shall conduct an exit interview with the student to determine the reasons for the student’s decision to terminate school enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the student in school.
- The student shall be informed of opportunities to continue his or her education in a different environment, including, but not limited to, adult education and GED test preparation.
- The student shall complete a survey to provide data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and actions taken by schools to keep students enrolled.
Placement of Homeless Students
The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), ensures that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children, and youth. Homeless children and youth must have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenges state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment based on homelessness alone.
Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless. If, due to a loss of housing, a child must live in a shelter, motel vehicle, or campground, on the street, in abandoned buildings, or doubled-up with relatives or friends, then he/she is eligible to receive services provided under the McKinney-Vento Act.
A homeless student shall be permitted to enroll immediately, even if the student is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment. This includes, but is not limited to, records such as previous academic records, medical and immunization records, and proof of residency. A homeless child shall be granted a temporary exemption from entrance requirements for 30 school days. For detailed information, see www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/homeless.
