Pelham School District Policy IKB
GRADING PHILOSOPHY
AND PROTOCOLS
Philosophy:
· The Pelham School District recognizes the value of grading and report cards as critical parts of a comprehensive, multifaceted system of reporting on student academic achievement.
· The main purpose of a progress report card is to communicate to parents and others regarding student achievement. Report cards also serve to provide feedback to encourage student learning, and to identify or select students for certain educational courses or programs.
· Academic grades will reflect the degree to which a student has met (at the time of reporting) the course competencies—what a student should know and be able to do as well as the timeliness of submitted assignments. Competencies/content for every class will be clearly articulated and distributed to parents and students.
· Students will be provided with multiple learning activities and opportunities to learn, to practice, and to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to meet with success. As needed, students will be provided with extra/supplemental learning opportunities designed to help them demonstrate mastery of course content.
Protocols:
· At the middle school level course expectations will be given to each student for every class. At the high school level course syllabi will be given to each student for every class. These written expectations will be distributed to students and all course requirements, course supplies, expectations, and methods of evaluation will be explained.
· Information not directly associated with a course’s content will not be incorporated into academic grades. No grades will be given/taken away for non-academic factors. (ex. not turning in signed document, book covered, effort, classroom behavior, etc.)
· Retakes
o Any student will have the opportunity for one retake (even if it is above a 75%) per completed summative assessment regardless of the original grade.
o For all retakes, the student will receive the higher of the two grades for grading purposes.
o Students, parents or educators can initiate a retake for a student. Teachers may also require retakes of any student when appropriate.
o All students with a grade below 75% on a summative assessment, will be actively notified by the teacher of the opportunity for a retake. Active notification can be either verbal or written; posting on PowerSchool is not active notification.
o The petition for a re-assessment must be initiated within two school days after notification of grades and work must be completed before the end of the tenth school day.
o Student wishing to engage in a retake, must complete the required remediation steps established by the teacher.
o Appropriate remediation plans include self-evaluation (see sample), item/assignment analysis, and activities designed to re-teach the knowledge and skills the student did not master as reflected in the original summative assessment.
o Additional retakes may be afforded the student, if feasible, until the 75% threshold has been met.
o The retake, when appropriate, need only reassess the knowledge and skills that the student failed to master.
o In some cases a re-assessment may not be feasible (group presentations, band concerts, final exams, weekly spelling tests, etc.).
Pelham Memorial Late Work: (Summative)
After the first day late a grade reduction of 10 points per day.
No more than five days late will be allowed and a grade of 50% will be recorded.
If not handed in, a zero (0%) will be recorded.
Missed Work (due to illness or excused absences)
Homework/classwork must be made up on a per day basis…i.e. one day absent, one day
to make up missed work.
Summative and formative assessment make ups must be arranged with the subject teacher.
· Teachers will use formative assessments during the teaching and learning process to gauge student performance, provide constructive feedback, and adjust instructional strategies in order to promote student learning and adequate student progress toward the competencies of the course.
· Multiple missing formative assessments will be addressed through teacher communication with the students and parents.
· Homework is a necessary and valuable part of the learning process and as such will be an integral part of every classroom. However, the homework will count for no more than 15% of the total course grade.
· The lowest score a student will receive on any completed summative assignment (tests, projects, papers, presentations, etc.) will be 50% (F).
GRADING PHILOSOPHY
AND PROTOCOLS
Philosophy:
· The Pelham School District recognizes the value of grading and report cards as critical parts of a comprehensive, multifaceted system of reporting on student academic achievement.
· The main purpose of a progress report card is to communicate to parents and others regarding student achievement. Report cards also serve to provide feedback to encourage student learning, and to identify or select students for certain educational courses or programs.
· Academic grades will reflect the degree to which a student has met (at the time of reporting) the course competencies—what a student should know and be able to do as well as the timeliness of submitted assignments. Competencies/content for every class will be clearly articulated and distributed to parents and students.
· Students will be provided with multiple learning activities and opportunities to learn, to practice, and to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to meet with success. As needed, students will be provided with extra/supplemental learning opportunities designed to help them demonstrate mastery of course content.
Protocols:
· At the middle school level course expectations will be given to each student for every class. At the high school level course syllabi will be given to each student for every class. These written expectations will be distributed to students and all course requirements, course supplies, expectations, and methods of evaluation will be explained.
· Information not directly associated with a course’s content will not be incorporated into academic grades. No grades will be given/taken away for non-academic factors. (ex. not turning in signed document, book covered, effort, classroom behavior, etc.)
· Retakes
o Any student will have the opportunity for one retake (even if it is above a 75%) per completed summative assessment regardless of the original grade.
o For all retakes, the student will receive the higher of the two grades for grading purposes.
o Students, parents or educators can initiate a retake for a student. Teachers may also require retakes of any student when appropriate.
o All students with a grade below 75% on a summative assessment, will be actively notified by the teacher of the opportunity for a retake. Active notification can be either verbal or written; posting on PowerSchool is not active notification.
o The petition for a re-assessment must be initiated within two school days after notification of grades and work must be completed before the end of the tenth school day.
o Student wishing to engage in a retake, must complete the required remediation steps established by the teacher.
o Appropriate remediation plans include self-evaluation (see sample), item/assignment analysis, and activities designed to re-teach the knowledge and skills the student did not master as reflected in the original summative assessment.
o Additional retakes may be afforded the student, if feasible, until the 75% threshold has been met.
o The retake, when appropriate, need only reassess the knowledge and skills that the student failed to master.
o In some cases a re-assessment may not be feasible (group presentations, band concerts, final exams, weekly spelling tests, etc.).
Pelham Memorial Late Work: (Summative)
After the first day late a grade reduction of 10 points per day.
No more than five days late will be allowed and a grade of 50% will be recorded.
If not handed in, a zero (0%) will be recorded.
Missed Work (due to illness or excused absences)
Homework/classwork must be made up on a per day basis…i.e. one day absent, one day
to make up missed work.
Summative and formative assessment make ups must be arranged with the subject teacher.
· Teachers will use formative assessments during the teaching and learning process to gauge student performance, provide constructive feedback, and adjust instructional strategies in order to promote student learning and adequate student progress toward the competencies of the course.
· Multiple missing formative assessments will be addressed through teacher communication with the students and parents.
· Homework is a necessary and valuable part of the learning process and as such will be an integral part of every classroom. However, the homework will count for no more than 15% of the total course grade.
· The lowest score a student will receive on any completed summative assignment (tests, projects, papers, presentations, etc.) will be 50% (F).