Grading and Reporting Student Progress
As delineated in the Student Progression Plan, teachers use evaluative devices and techniques as may be needed to report individual achievement in relation to school goals, accepted norms, and pupil potential. Student grades, unsatisfactory work notices, parent reports on State assessment and/or the standardized testing, parent conferences, and adult student conferences serve as the primary means of communicating student progress and achievement of the standards for promotion. A student’s academic grade reflects the teacher’s most objective assessment of the student’s academic achievement. Students have the right to receive a conduct and an effort grade consistent with their overall behavior and effort. When students with disabilities are “included” in general education classes, it may be necessary to delineate an explanation of the grading criteria and an explanation about necessary curriculum modifications on the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as well as using the report card comment #48 – Curriculum has been modified. Specific guidelines for grading student performance and for reporting student progress are provided below:
A. Grading Student Performance
By School Board directive, academic grades are to reflect the student’s academic progress. The determination of the specific grade a student receives must be based on the teacher’s best judgment after careful consideration of all aspects of each student’s performance during a grading period, including such factors as class attendance, homework, and participation. In authorized semester courses, the student’s final grade shall be determined as follows: 40 percent value for each of two nine-week grading periods and 20 percent value for the final examination, with a provision for teacher override. In authorized annual courses, the student’s final grade shall be determined as follows: 20 percent value for each of four nine-week grading periods, 10 percent value for the midterm exam, and 10 percent for the final exam, with a provision for teacher override. In order to pass an annual course in grades 6-12, a student will earn a minimum of 10 grade points, of which a minimum of five must be earned in the second semester. Teacher override (either up or down) can still be used. In both authorized semester courses and authorized annual courses, the criteria for grading certain exceptional students may be modified by the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) team. The following are the academic grades used:
| Grade | Numerical Value | Verbal Interpretation | Grade Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 90 – 100 or 3.5 – 4.0 | Outstanding progress | 4 |
| B | 80 – 89 or 2.5 –3.4 | Good progress | 3 |
| C | 70 – 79 or 1.5 – 2.4 | Average progress | 2 |
| D | 60 – 69 or 1.0 – 1.4 | Lowest acceptable progress | 1 |
| F | 0 – 59 or 0 – .9 | Failure | 0 |
| I | 0 | Incomplete | 0 |
Students who earn more than the required number of credits are not penalized in their rank in class. Conduct grades are used to communicate clearly to students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) the teacher’s evaluation of a student’s behavior and citizenship development. These grades are independent of academic and effort grades. Effort grades are assigned by teachers based on the student’s potential, study habits, and attitude. Three numerical grades are used to reflect their effort:
| Effort Grade | Verbal Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Outstanding Effort |
| 2 | Satisfactory Effort |
| 3 | Insufficient Effort |
B. GRADE POINT AVERAGE
Guidelines for interpreting students’ grades with respect to grade point average are provided in School Board Rule 6Gx-13-S5B-1.061. Grade point averages (GPA) are calculated for any of the reasons listed below:
- High school graduation
- Eligibility to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities
- Awards and recognition programs
- Placement on the honor roll and/or membership in honor societies
- College admissions and scholarship competitions
C. GRADE AND BONUS POINT VALUES
The grade and bonus point values shown in the chart below are used in determining unweighted (without bonus points) and weighted (with bonus points) GPA’s.
| Letter Grade | Grade Points | Bonus Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honors/Pre-AICE | Advanced Placement | Cambridge AICE | ||
| A | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| B | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| C | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NOTE: Dual enrollment courses are awarded either honors or the equivalent of advanced placement bonus points as required by State Board Rule. The specific weighting is determined by a committee of subject area administrators and is intended to reflect the scope and intensity of the specific course.
Report Card and Interim Progress Report Dates
Schedule for Reporting Periods and Report Card Distribution
School Report Cards will be distributed no later than the specific dates listed below. It is essential that schools and regions publicize these dates through school, the PTA and other bulletins so that parents will be expecting students to bring report cards home. If schools receive their Report Cards earlier than the specific dates, they may distribute them earlier. Information Services will be responsible for disseminating this information to the media.
Interim Progress Report Schedule
| Grading Period | Distribution Date |
|---|---|
| 1 | 09/25/2020 |
| 2 | 12/04/2020 |
| 3 | 02/19/2021 |
| 4 | 05/07/2021 |
Electronic Gradebook Schedule and Report Card Distribution Dates
| *End of Period | Gradebook Upload to ITS | Report Cards Available to Schools No Later Than | Report Cards Sent to Parents By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/22/2020 | 10/23/2020 | 11/3/2020 | 11/6/2020 |
| 01/22/2021 | 01/22/2021 | 2/2/2021 | 2/5/2021 |
| 03/25/2021 | 03/26/2021 | 4/13/2021 | 4/16/2021 |
| 06/09/2021 | 06/10/2021 | 6/22/2021 | 6/25/2021 |