Grading

Grading & Report Cards

Elementary Grading

The elementary report card is used to communicate with families with regard to student progress toward our district’s learning expectations for each grade level. Report cards are provided to families two times a year - once in the fall and again in the spring.

The report card is intended to inform families about students’ learning successes, areas of need, and continued opportunities for growth. It’s just one of the many ways we communicate with you about your child’s performance and progress.

Standards-based reporting is an approach in which our students’ academic performance is measured relative to the grade level standards. Standards specify what all students should know and be able to do, as well as the level at which they need to know it.

Elementary students will be scored based on the level at which they demonstrate proficiency of the standard, rather than how he/she performed in comparison to other students.
The focus is on evidence of learning, not on compliance or the accumulation of points.

Standards-based reporting:

Makes students more aware of what is expected of them. Students will better understand their current academic progress in relation to where they need to be by the end of the year.
Allows teachers to provide families with a more thorough explanation of what skills and concepts are needed in order for students to show proficiency of the standard.
Enables teachers to better understand a student’s current level of performance on a standard and how to best support the next instructional steps in the learning progression.

Academic Performance Indicators

In order to represent the different levels of performance your child will demonstrate during the learning process, you will see the symbols 1, 2, 3 and 4. The expectation is for each child to meet or exceed the grade-level standard by the end of the year, which you would see as a 3 or higher on their report card. You may see some 2s along the way, especially during first semester as well as when new concepts are being introduced and learned, or as concepts become more complex. A grade of 1 indicates that your child requires extra support and intervention to make progress toward the standard, and we’ll work along with you to determine the right path to help him/her grow.

Advancing Beyond Standard

Advances beyond grade-level expectations. Demonstrates high cognitive levels of thinking and a more rigorous application of knowledge and understanding to other subject areas

Meeting Standard

Meets grade-level expectations. Demonstrates solid knowledge and understanding of the skills and concepts measured within the standard.

Progressing Toward Standard

Meets some grade-level expectations and is currently demonstrating progress toward achievement of standard.

Not Yet Demonstrating

Not yet meeting grade-level expectations. Needs additional support fo make adequate progress toward achievement of standard.

REMEMBER: In standards-based reporting, 3s are celebrated!

Middle School Grading

Middle School Grading For Learning

Our grading for learning practices will provide a framework for teachers to accurately report academic achievement to students and their families.

Grading Parameters:

1. The primary purpose of grading is to communicate academic progress and achievement to students, families, employers, and post-secondary institutions. Additional purposes for grading include:

Providing information that students can use for self-evaluation.
Gathering information that teachers can use to modify planning and instruction.

2. Teachers of the same grade level course will apply the grading parameters in the same manner.

3. Course grades will reflect the level of the student’s academic achievement. While non-academic factors are highly valued and often contribute to the student’s academic achievement, they will be reported separately from an achievement grade. When merged with measures of academic achievement, non-academic factors can misrepresent what the student knows. The following are examples of non-academic factors:

Behavior (i.e. attendance, attitude, punctuality, academic dishonesty, certain class participation, effort)
Homework based solely on completion.
Other characteristics or habits.

4. The semester grade for a course will be calculated based on a combination of summative and formative assessments. The definitions provided in this document are the best guide for determining if an assessment is Academic Practice (formative) or Academic Achievement (summative).

The combinations of academic achievement and academic practice grades will be based on embedded standards, course rigor, and/or grade level. The following calculations provide a framework for grades 7-9.
Summative assessment grades will count for a minimum of 80%.
Formative assessment grade will count for a maximum of 20%.
Individual departments will determine what assessments are included in the Academic Practice and Academic Achievement categories.
Individual courses will use the same percentages for each category.

5. Student learning and academic achievement is an ongoing process. Formative and summative assessments are intentionally fluid to support student learning.

Formative assessments can be completed more than once to demonstrate learning. Teachers may have retake deadlines.
Summative assessments can be completed a second time. Teachers will have criteria and may have retake deadlines.

Retake/Revision:
Students are encouraged to retake any formative assessment that has not been mastered. The student can retake a formative assessment as many times as necessary to master the content, but the retake needs to be completed before the summative assessment is given. Teachers will likely require additional practice work before allowing the student to retake a formative assessment. Retakes are not the same assessment, but a different assessment that measures the same learning targets and concepts.

A summative assessment retake is a privilege provided to students who have demonstrated mastery of all homework and formative assessments leading-up to a summative assessment. If the gradebook indicates this, the student will be permitted one additional chance to retake a summative assessment. Teachers will likely require additional practice work before allowing the student to retake the summative assessment. The student will need to initiate the retake process and have the summative retake completed prior to the next summative assessment.

Summative retake guidelines:

Prior to taking the summative exam for the first time, the student must score 80% or higher on formative assessments leading-up to the summative.
All practice and homework leading-up to the summative will be completed, turned in and done in an acceptable manner.
The student will schedule and take their summative retake prior to the next summative given in class.

While these are school guidelines, teachers reserve the right to use their professional judgement in unique circumstances.

*There will be no retakes permitted on end of the semester or end of the year final exams*

Grading Scale:

In order to calculate grades, the following percentage based scale is used to assign grades. In turn, the letter symbols give a description of the student’s academic achievement.

Teachers will round to the nearest whole percent when a student is between grades.

Exceeds Standards
A = 100-93
A- = 92-90

Meets Standards
B+ = 89-87
B = 86-83
B- = 82-80

Partially Meets Standards
C+ = 79-77
C = 76-73
C- = 72-70

Does Not Meet Standards
D+ = 69-67
D = 66-63
D- = 62-60
F = 59-0

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for their own learning. All students shall actively participate in understanding the grading and reporting system. Students are expected to check the Message Center (or Calendar) on Skyward weekly, monitor their academic progress to identify their strengths and weaknesses with a particular topic and, as a result, seek additional help.

Students are responsible for contacting the appropriate teacher when questions or concerns arise. Students may schedule an appointment with their counselor for academic assistance.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

Parents/guardians are a vital link to successful home/school communication about student learning.

Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the Parent Information Night in the fall, check student progress on Skyward weekly, check the Message Center (or Calendar) on Skyward weekly, and schedule and attend Parent/Teacher conferences.

Parents should contact the appropriate teacher when questions or concerns arise.

School Staff Responsibilities

Principals are responsible for ensuring implementation of of the school's beliefs, procedures, and practices of effective grading and reporting.
Teachers are responsible for effectively implementing classroom assessments based on standards and for applying the principles of effective grading and reporting practices using professional judgment. Teachers will maintain a gradebook that is updated weekly. Teachers will post a weekly update in the Message Center (or Calendar) on Skyward.
Counselors are available for both academic and non-academic counseling, and will be available to assist students, parents, and teachers in the communication of academic progress. Counselors will recommend intervention services as appropriate.

Professional Judgment

Educators are highly trained professionals who are not only experts in the content areas they teach but also in determining each student’s level of understanding and achievement of course specific standards. It is the teacher’s job to use evidence when assigning grades. While our school uses an 80/20 (80% summative, 20% formative) model to calculate a final grade, teachers reserve the right to use their professional judgment to alter a student’s grade so long as there is clear evidence.

Academic Dishonesty

Any act in which the student gives or uses information in a way that provides an inaccurate reflection of learning and an unfair advantage. Students demonstrating academic dishonesty will be referred to counselors and or administration and consequences in accordance to the discipline policy will result. Any student subject to academic dishonesty will be given another opportunity to demonstrate their learning without academic penalty.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Taking or distributing images of the assessment (screen shots included)
Copying another student’s work
Taking a copy of the assessment our of the room without teacher permission
Discussing answers or questions on the assessment with students who have not taken the exam (through e-mail, texting, social media or any other form of communication)
Plagiarism – stealing and not citing content that does not belong to you and putting your name by it as if you were the original author
Using resources/devices the teacher has not permitted during the assessment (could include: notes, maps, text, phone, computer) even if the use of the resource/device is unrelated to assessment you are taking (When in doubt ask the teacher.)

High School Grading

Stillwater Area High School Grading For Learning

The purpose of grading is to communicate information about students' achievements in school to parents and others, as well as to provide information to students for self-evaluation.

Grading practices at SAHS will:

Accurately and clearly reflect what students know and can do.
Be fair and evidence-based.
Be clearly connected to district and state standards.
Be timely and encourage learning through continuous feedback.
Be consistent throughout the school, grade levels, and departments.
Foster communication between home and school in order to help all students reach their full academic potentials.

Grading Principles

Grades are designed to reflect the level of the student’s academic achievement.
Grades communicate what students know and can do in relation to course standards. Non-academic factors* clearly contribute to the student’s academic achievement, but when those factors are merged with measures of academic achievement, the final grade can misrepresent what the student has achieved. Non-academic factors can be reported separately from academic achievement, but will not impact the student's overall grade in a course.

Teachers will provide feedback on student work promptly.
Because delays in grading reduce the effectiveness of feedback, teachers will return graded work as quickly as possible.

Syllabi, assessment criteria, and summative assessments across sections of a course will be common.
While differentiation in formative assessments and techniques within a course is acceptable and encouraged, teachers of the same grade level course will apply grading parameters in the same manner.

Semester grades will be calculated based on a combination of formative assessments (like homework and quizzes) and summative assessments (like exams, projects and essays).

Summative assessments will represent no less than 80% of the student’s course grade and Formative assessments will represent no more than 20% of the student’s grade.
Individual departments will determine what assessments are included in the assessment plan for a course and individual courses will use the same percentages for each category.
Additional unweighted categories may be used to communicate other student performance, but will not affect the overall grade.

Formative and summative assessments will be clearly aligned with course standards.
Descriptions of assignments in the electronic gradebook will provide information that links assignments and assessments to learning targets. The gradebook will be clear to anyone who refers to it.

Student learning is an ongoing process.
Students are encouraged to retake any formative assessment that has not been mastered. Students can retake a formative assessment as many times as necessary to master the content, but the retake needs to be completed before the summative assessment is given. Teachers will likely require additional practice work before allowing a student to retake a formative assessment. Retakes are not the same assessment, but a different assessment that appraises the same learning targets and concepts.

A summative assessment retake is a privilege provided to students who have demonstrated mastery of all homework and formative assessments leading up to a summative assessment. Teachers will likely require additional practice work before allowing the student to retake a summative assessment. The student will need to initiate the retake process and have the summative retake completed prior to the next summative assessment.

There will be no retakes permitted on end-of-semester of end-of-year Final Exams.

Grading Scale:

Exceeds Standards
A = 100-93
A- = 92-90

Meets Standards
B+ = 89-87
B = 89-87
B- = 82-80

Partially Meets Standards
C+ = 79-77
C = 76-73
C- = 72-70
D+ = 69-67
D = 66-63
D- = 62-60

Does Not Meet Standards
F = 59-50

Student Responsibilities

Students are primarily responsible for their own learning. All students shall actively participate in understanding Stillwater Area High School’s grading and reporting system.

Students are expected to use Schoology on a daily basis to monitor their academic progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses with a particular topic and seek additional help from teachers as needed.

Students are responsible for contacting the appropriate teacher(s) when questions or concerns arise. Students may schedule an appointment with their counselor for academic assistance.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

Parents/guardians are a vital link to successful home/school communication about student learning.

Guardians should engage with the children about academic issues. They are strongly encouraged to attend the Back to School Night in the fall, check student progress in Schoology weekly, check messages in Schoology weekly, and schedule and attend conferences.

Guardians should contact the appropriate teacher(s) when questions or concerns arise.

School Staff Responsibilities

Principals are responsible for ensuring implementation of Stillwater Area High School’s purpose, principles, and practices of effective grading and reporting.
Teachers are responsible for effectively implementing classroom assessments based on standards and for applying the principles of effective grading and reporting practices using professional judgment. Teachers will maintain a gradebook that is updated regularly.
Counselors are available for both academic and non-academic counseling, and to assist students, parents, and teachers in the communication of academic progress. Counselors will recommend intervention services as appropriate.

Professional Judgement

Educators are highly trained professionals who are experts in both the content areas they teach and in determining students' levels of understanding and achievement. Teachers have the right to use their professional judgment to modify a student’s grade so long as there is clear evidence in support of the modification.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty is defined as any act in which the student gives or uses information in a way that provides an inaccurate reflection of learning and/or provides an unfair advantage. Students engaged in academic dishonesty will face consequences in accordance with the discipline policy.

Tools Teachers Use To Assess Learning

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is defined as Assessment for learning or academic practice. It is work conducted when a student is still learning the material and is designed to provide direction for both students and teachers.

Formative assessments help students monitor their progress towards the mastery of learning targets, and they help teachers identify areas in which students need additional practice.

Examples may include homework, worksheets, observations, rough drafts, quizzes, labs, notebook checks, etc.

Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment is defined as Assessment of Learning. These are assessments that measure students’ understanding of a group of learning targets and/or essential learner outcomes.

Summative assessments follow practice work (homework, formative assessments, and instruction).

Examples may include tests, essays, presentations, or projects.

Non-Academic Factors

Non-academic factors are aspects of student performance that are not clearly linked to academic standards.

These factors include behaviors (i.e. timeliness of work, attitude, participation, effort), academic dishonesty, attendance, and homework based solely on completion.