The Madison County School Board reviewed a redlined revision of its student-progression plan at a Dec. 1 workshop, including changes to testing, promotion criteria, parent notification and remediation practices.

The presentation by Dr. Holmes summarized the key edits: districts will post required notices on the district website rather than in a local newspaper to align with state rule; STAR literacy and STAR mathematics diagnostics are added and specified for pre-K through second grade; teachers must make a documented midterm contact when a student is in danger of failing; and makeup-work rules differentiate excused and unexcused absences.

Dr. Holmes said the notification change was made "to post it on our district website" and that the language was aligned with state requirements. On assessment frequency, staff added that STAR reading diagnostics will be administered multiple times per year for early grades to reflect recent state testing changes.

Why it matters: the revisions affect promotion decisions and how the district communicates academic risk to families. A board member raised a stark concern about early reading outcomes, saying the district faces "more than 70% that are reading below grade level" in third grade and asked for principals to attend the Dec. 15 meeting to provide school-level specifics and concrete strategies.

Board members and staff discussed remediation steps the district is using to address early literacy gaps. Dr. Holmes described partnerships and supports in place, including a targeted tutoring initiative with the University of Florida, Renaissance/Nearpod materials and instructional coaches who will work through PLCs (professional learning communities) to align lessons and interventions. A state subject specialist that focuses on pre-K–3 also meets regularly with coaches and teachers.

Other substantive edits the board reviewed:
- Midyear promotion and retention: the redline clarifies retention stipulations for kindergarteners and specifies particular diagnostics and criteria tied to promotion decisions.
- Makeup-work and exam exemptions: the draft says excused absences receive makeup work for full credit; unexcused absences may earn makeup work but with a maximum grade of 75.
- Honor roll and recognition: new categories were added (distinction for 4.0+, high honors 3.5–3.99, honors 3.0–3.49) and language clarifies that only a D or F disqualifies a student from the A–B honor roll.

What happens next: staff agreed to refine the written-notification language to require multiple methods (for example, ClassDojo and email in addition to mailed notices) so families with outdated mailing addresses are reached, and to invite principals to the Dec. 15 voting meeting to respond directly to questions about early-reading interventions. The progression-plan draft remains under review and will be included on the December voting agenda for the board to consider.

The workshop did not include a vote on the progression plan; the item is scheduled for follow-up at the board’s Dec. 15 meeting.