Board hears detailed presentation on acceleration, retention and TAG; staff emphasize equity and data
Summary
District staff presented policies on promotion, acceleration and retention and the TAG plan, stressing that retention is an exception, acceleration follows a team-based process with principal approval, every TAG-identified student has an ICP, and coaches monitor demographic representation.
District staff presented the board with the North Clackamas School District’s approach to promotion, acceleration, retention and talented-and-gifted (TAG) services on Jan. 29, emphasizing a data-driven, team-based process and an equity lens.
Presenters said promotion to the next grade is the default and that retention is an exception supported by multidisciplinary review. "Retention is allowable under our policy, but our guidance reflects the extensive research showing that retention is rarely effective in the long term," a presenter said. The district’s acceleration options include classroom differentiation, single-subject acceleration and full-grade acceleration; recommendations come from school teams that include parents and receiving-school staff when needed, and final placement decisions rest with principals or their designees.
Staff described the TAG plan as aligned with Oregon administrative rules: the district identifies students in two categories (intellectually gifted and academically talented) using multiple measures and learning profiles, documents services through Individualized Classroom Plans (ICPs) for every identified student and updates the TAG plan every three years (next submission due in June). Miranda Otto said TAG in North Clackamas is delivered primarily through a service model embedded in regular classrooms rather than a pull-out program.
Coaches and instructional staff outlined classroom strategies and tools—Imagine curriculum centers, DreamBox, Lexia Power Up, FastBridge and unit monitoring—that support rate-and-level differentiation and provide adaptive 20-minute blocks for targeted instruction. Secondary staff described pathways to AP and IB offerings and ways students can access college-level work through core instruction. Board members asked for additional KPIs, including counts of TAG students, demographic breakdowns and year-over-year trends; staff said they monitor representation closely and that every identified TAG student has an ICP documenting supports and progress.
No formal action or vote occurred on these topics at the meeting; board members requested further data to benchmark performance and demographic equity.
