(105 ILCS 5/10-20.9a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.9a)

Sec. 10-20.9a. Final grade; promotion.

(a) Teachers shall administer the approved marking system or other approved means of evaluating pupil progress. The teacher shall maintain the responsibility and right to determine grades and other evaluations of students within the grading policies of the district based upon his or her professional judgment of available criteria pertinent to any given subject area or activity for which he or she is responsible. District policy shall provide the procedure and reasons by and for which a grade may be changed; provided that no grade or evaluation shall be changed without notification to the teacher concerning the nature and reasons for such change. If such a change is made, the person making the change shall assume such responsibility for determining the grade or evaluation, and shall initial such change.

(b) School districts shall not promote students to the next higher grade level based upon age or any other social reasons not related to the academic performance of the students. On or before September 1, 1998, school boards shall adopt and enforce a policy on promotion as they deem necessary to ensure that students meet local goals and objectives and can perform at the expected grade level prior to promotion. Decisions to promote or retain students in any classes shall be based on successful completion of the curriculum, attendance, performance based on the assessments required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or other testing or any other criteria established by the school board. Students determined by the local district to not qualify for promotion to the next higher grade shall be provided remedial assistance, which may include, but shall not be limited to, a summer bridge program of no less than 90 hours, tutorial sessions, increased or concentrated instructional time, modifications to instructional materials, and retention in grade.

(c) No public high school of a school district shall withhold a student's grades, transcripts, or diploma because of an unpaid balance on the student's school account.

At the end of each school year, the school district shall catalogue and report to the State Board of Education the total amount that remains unpaid by students due to the prohibition under this subsection (c).

(d) On and after 3 years from the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, subsection (c) is inoperative.

(Source: P.A. 102-727, eff. 5-6-22.)