The DOE issued the following guidance on June 5.

Below you will find clarification on the promotion process for students with standard promotion criteria for grades 3–8. The promotion portfolios are adapted for remote learning, with revised guidance for identifying and scoring student work samples. As in prior years, schools should only complete promotion portfolios for those students with standard promotion criteria who are being considered for retention because they have not demonstrated sufficient progress toward meeting New York State Learning Standards in ELA and mathematics. Schools should note the following expectations:

• Portfolios must only be prepared for those students being considered for retention in June. Once it is decided that a student will be retained in June, they must participate in summer school and their progress will be re-assessed in August to make a final promotion decision.
• Schools must not prepare portfolios for students who are recommended for summer school but not being considered for retention. Any student can be recommended for summer school based on academic need (see page 3 of the promotion guide).
• Portfolios must include authentic, existing work samples. Schools should not prepare new tasks, assessments, or work products for the purposes of promotion portfolios.
• If there are insufficient work samples to assemble a portfolio for a student, the student may not be retained. If the school has other evidence to indicate that the student would benefit from summer school based on academic need, the school should recommend the student for summer school. See page 7 of the promotion guide for information about mandating and recommending students for summer school.

As a reminder, promotion functions open in ATS on June 1. Promotion decisions must be entered in ATS by June 12 for elementary and middle schools, and on June 17 for high schools.