PA HB1535

Amends the Public School Code to require the Department of Education to establish student performance levels aligned with PSSA tests within 180 days, identifying proficient, advanced, and below-proficient achievement relative to state academic standards

Students in grades 3-8 who score more than 3 years below proficiency in reading or more than 4 years below proficiency in mathematics on the PSSA shall not be promoted unless parents agree to an individual improvement plan or the student has already been retained twice for academic reasons

Individual improvement plans may include summer school, before/after school instruction, Saturday school, tutoring, or mentoring programs; students who fail to comply may face disciplinary measures similar to truancy violations

Each school entity must establish an academic review committee including at least one grade-level teacher to hear parent appeals regarding improvement plans

Retention requirements do not apply to students classified with moderate or severe intellectual disabilities, autism with equivalent intellectual disability, or multiple disabilities with equivalent intellectual disability