GRADING

Purpose and Scope

To provide regulations for the grading of students and reporting to parents
General
1. Student progress will be periodically reported to parents.
2. The evaluation of student progress must be timely, comprehensive, and accurate.
3. Fair, consistent, and reasonable standards and processes using multiple means of assessment should be established and implemented as the basis for determining grades. These standards and processes must be communicated to and understood by all parties— teachers, students, parents, administrators, and counselors.
4. Concerns or questions should be directed to site principals, the grade level Educational Services Director, or to the Assistant Superintendent - Educational Services.
5. For the purposes of this policy and administrative regulation, the "teacher" is the certificated employee assigned by the principal at a reporting period to assess the progress of a specific student or group of students.
Forms Used and Additional References
1. Currently-approved Grade Report forms
2. Currently-approved Parent/Teacher Conference forms (K-6)
3. Currently-approved Unsatisfactory Progress Report forms
Procedure
1. Grading Calendar
  1. A report of student progress shall be given to parents three times per year for elementary schools, and quarterly for middle schools, and for high schools as such dates are established on the annual district calendar.
  2. As a standard procedure, a time shall be established near the midpoint of each formal grading period to inform students and parents of unsatisfactory, near failing, or failing work at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
  3. An unsatisfactory progress report may be made at any time a student's achievement is determined to be unsatisfactory, near failing, or failing. Every effort should be made to provide unsatisfactory progress notification in sufficient time to allow the student the opportunity to improve the grade prior to the end of the grading period. A failing grade for any grading period may not be given unless prior notification has been given to parents.
2. Official Grading Periods
  1. At the elementary level, each trimester is a distinct grading period. Grades are not cumulative from one trimester to the next. Parent-teacher conferences on student progress will be conducted at the end of the first trimester. A completed report of progress will be sent to the home for any parent not attending the conference.
  2. At the middle school level, each quarter is a distinct grading period. Grades are not cumulative from one quarter to the next. Therefore, all quarter grades will be recorded on each student’s permanent record card.
  3. At the high school level, the semester is the basic grading period, and the first- and second-semester grades are recorded on the students' official transcripts. First- and third-quarter grades represent progress to the midpoint of the semester. Separate second- and fourth-quarter grades are not issued.
3. Format or Means of Reporting
  1. Currently-approved district printed and/or computerized forms shall be used for grading and reporting of unsatisfactory progress. Copies of such reports will be retained at the schools.
  2. Teachers are urged to further communicate with parents by personal notes, telephone, or conference. Teachers should keep records of such communications.
  3. Teachers shall complete the achievement, citizenship and other reporting information required on currently-approved forms.
  4. Unless otherwise identified on currently-approved district forms, achievement grades will be reported by standard A-F letter grades. These letter grades are defined as follows: A = excellent, B = good, C = satisfactory, D = unsatisfactory but not failing, F = failing.
4. For high schools, an "INC" is a temporary grade which may be issued when significant requirements of a course have not been completed due to illness or other authorized absence. An "INC" must be changed by the issuing teacher to an A-F letter grade within four
  (4) weeks after the end of the grading period unless a time exception is authorized for extraordinary reasons by the principal.
5. Schools using data processing procedures for grade reporting may find other symbols available in the academic grade section of data input sheets. These other symbols are included for operational and/or administrative purposes. Teachers may not use symbols other than "A", "B", "C", "D", "F", and "INC" for grade reporting unless specifically directed to do so in writing by the Information Services Department or unless authorized to do so in writing by the Assistant Superintendent - Educational Services.
6. Teachers must ensure that students are continuously aware of their level of progress. Students must have a clear understanding of the achievement, citizenship, and any other progress grades assigned to them.
7. A failing grade for any grading period may not be assigned unless a prior warning notification of unsatisfactory, near failing, or failing work has been given during the grading period.
8. Care and accuracy in grade reporting:
  1. Teachers shall maintain grade books. The record of achievement, citizenship, and other progress contained in these grade books and the teachers’ observation of the students' daily classroom performance constitute the basis for issuing grades.
  2. Every effort should be made by teachers to assign an accurate, correct grade at the regular reporting time. Principals, as a part of site procedures, will establish a process for a teacher to request a change in a grade assigned by that teacher in the event that an error has been made. As a minimum, the request must be in writing and will indicate the original grade, the corrected grade, reason for change, teacher's signature, and principal's or designee's signature. The request, after appropriate clerical and/or data processing change has been made, will be filed in the permanent cumulative record of the student. Except as noted in law, the grade awarded by the assigned teacher is final.
  3. At the high school level, particular care must be taken in cases where a course is repeated for the purpose of achieving a higher grade. The original grade is never expunged or changed. The new grade is entered as with any other course. Credit is earned when the course is repeated for grade only if the course was failed in the original attempt.
  4. Students who change placement from a Weighted Course to its equivalent non- weighted counterpart during a grading period shall start the new course with a 10% percentage increase that reflects the weighted nature of the previous course.
  5. As consistent with law, Board of Education policy, and this regulation, principals may provide additional guidelines and procedures for grading and reporting to parents.
Reports Required

Period grade forms and unsatisfactory report forms completed by teachers as specified in this regulation.
Record Retention

Grade reports shall be maintained as specified in Board of Education Policy and Administrative Regulation 5126.
Responsible Administrative Unit
1. Principal
2. Educational Services Director
3. Assistant Superintendent - Educational Services
Approved by:

Olivia Yaung 12/13/23 Alex Cherniss 12/13/23

Division Head Date Superintendent Date