The following email about new DOE guidance on report cards and promotion policy was sent on June 8, 2020, to teachers by UFT President Micheal Mulgrew.

With the end of the year approaching, we reached out to the Department of Education to get more clarity on this year's final report cards and promotion policy. After discussions with the UFT, the DOE issued more detailed guidelines for educators on June 5.

The new guidance seeks to ensure that students get the targeted support and instruction they need in summer school while not adding an inordinate paperwork burden on teachers. Here are the highlights:

Completing report cards for summer school students

• You must include 7-12 coded comments (using the STARS codes) only in subjects for which a student is being mandated or recommended for summer school.
• You do not have to add comments for any other subject area.
• A student who is given a grade of NX in June will be given the final grade by either the summer school teacher or at the end of the fall semester by the subject-area teacher in whose class the student is enrolled.

Read the DOE's full guidance >>

Promotion policy and student portfolios

• Promotion-in-doubt portfolios are only for students in grades 3-8 who are being considered for retention.
• Teachers are not required to and should not create new tasks or assessments to be placed in the promotion-in-doubt portfolio.
• If there is insufficient evidence in the portfolio, the student cannot be retained in the grade but may be recommended for summer school.
• Promotion decisions must be entered in ATS on June 12 for elementary and middle schools and on June 17 for high schools.
• There are NO portfolios for high school students.

Read the DOE’s full guidance >>

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do during this extraordinary period.