BookPolicy Manual Section5000 Students TitleGRADING Codepo5421 StatusActive AdoptedAugust 1, 2007 Last RevisedSeptember 4, 2018


5421 - GRADING

 

The Board of Education recognizes its responsibility for providing a system of grading student performance that can help student, teachers, and parents judge properly how well the student is achieving the goals of the Marion County's program.

 

The Board believes that the County’s grading system should be a reliable system and one that ensures each student’s grades signify accurately his/her degree of accomplishment of expected content standards and objectives, which are stated for each program at every grade level, pre-kindergarten through twelve.

 

The Superintendent will develop procedures for grading whereby the professional staff:

  1. develops clear, consistent criteria and standards particularly when grades are based on subjective assessment;

     

  2. helps each student understand in each course or program what behavior and/or achievement is needed to earn each grade as well as what will produce a failing grade;

     

  3. provides frequent opportunities for each student and their parents to obtain information as to the students progress toward the learning of the content standards and objectives of courses or programs the student is enrolled;
     

  4. provides for a pass/fail grade in programs for which it is appropriate;
     

  5. provides students the opportunity to assess both their own achievements and their areas of difficulty.

The grading system should not inhibit the professional staff member from learning the strengths and weaknesses of each student on an individual basis.

 

Accurate and up-to-date on-line grade books will be kept by each teacher with a sufficient number of grades for each student.  So that realistic grade averages may be obtained, the minimum number of grades in the grade book will be nine.  (Representing at least one (1) grade per week) Postings to the on-line grading system are required on a weekly basis.

 

A teacher may not be required by the principal or any other person to change a student’s grade on either an individual assignment or a report card unless there is clear and convincing evidence that there was a mathematical error in calculating the student’s grade.

 

All grades of incomplete (except under unusual circumstances) must be changed to a regular grade within two (2) weeks after the report cards are issued.

 

PROGRAMMATIC GRADE LEVELS

 

WEST VIRGINIA PRE-K CHILD ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

 

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has established the Early Learning Scale, a systematic assessment for preschool children designed for educators to use in assessing children's progress and informing teaching toward high quality early learning standards.

 

This assessment focuses on children's development over time, and measures student data collected through observation and work samples. WV Pre-K programs utilize the Early Learning Scale to inform teaching and assist with the articulation of children's development to families.

 

Educators will collect and analyze evidence of children's development on a regular basis. For reporting purposes, educators will input data into the Early Learning Scale WVEIS system and give parents reports three times a year.

 

The ELS examines three domains with a total of 10 items across the domains. Within each item are strands that further delineate the items for more focused observation. The 5-point continuum has indicators at levels 1, 3, and 5. Scores are reported for each of the 10 items.

 

WV EARLY LEARNING REPORTING SYSTEM: KINDERGARTEN

 

The ELRS: K is the data entry component of the formative assessment process that is utilized in all early learning classrooms in WV. Evidence is collected on a regular basis that provides valuable information about children’s development toward mastery of standards. Evidence is used by teachers to make claims about children’s progress over time.

 

Child Accomplishment Summary reports are based on children’s developmental progress toward proficiency across standards and a copy of the report will be provided to the parents quarterly.

 

Overall descriptions of the four assessment levels include:

(E) Emerging – Student is beginning to show understanding (evolving in knowledge and understanding – This is a starting point for all children and means they are working on developing these skills, but have not met the standard completely.)

(D) Developing – Student is advancing forward, not mastered (This is moving forward away from emerging, which was the starting point.)

(S) At Standard – Student demonstrates a proficient understanding, meets grade level goal (This is the point of what is considered to be mastery of the standard, which is the goal by the end of Kindergarten.)

(A) Above Standard – Student consistently demonstrates a deep understanding of the standard (This is the point of what is considered to exceed grade level expectations of knowledge of the standards.)

 

GRADE 1

 

The following grading system will be used in grade 1:

 

Letter grades (using the same scale listed below for grades 3-12) will be issued for English Language Arts (ELA) and math during the first semester. During the second semester, letter grades will be issued for English Language Arts and math. All other subjects (Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education, Health, and Library/Media) are graded using the S or U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) to indicate progress in these areas.

 

GRADE 2

 

The following grading system will be used in grade 2:

 

Letter grades (using the same scale listed below for grades 3-12) will be issued for English Language Arts (ELA) and math. All other subjects (Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education, Health, and Library/Media) are graded using the S or U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) to indicate progress in these areas.

 

GRADES 3 THROUGH 12

 

The West Virginia State Board of Education has established a uniform grading policy that must be used for any course taken for high school credit, regardless of the grade level of the student at the time the course is taken, other than courses the District may designate by policy as weighted courses. The local board is not required to adopt this grading scale for use in courses or grade levels for which high school credit is not involved.

 

The following grading system will be used in grades 3 through 12:

 

Average               Grade                Quality Points

90 - 100                A                           4.0
80 - 89                  B                           3.0
70 - 79                  C                           2.0
60 - 69                  D                           1.0
0 - 59                    F                            0
 

WEIGHTED COURSE GRADING SCALE FOR ADVANCED PLACEMENT, ADVANCED CAREER AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE COURSES:

 

County boards of education continue to have discretionary authority to issue weighted grades for other advanced high school courses. In accordance therewith the Board elects to establish a policy for weighted grades. The following weighted grading scale shall be established for advanced courses (i.e., College Dual-Credit, Advanced Placement, Advanced Career courses, Campus-Based College courses and International Baccalaureate courses.

 

Average                Grade                 Quality Points

90 - 100                  A                            5.0
80 - 89                    B                            4.0
70 - 79                    C                            3.0
60 - 69                    D                            2.0
0 - 59                      F                            0

 

Revised 8/26/08

Revised 1/4/10


LegalWV Code 18-5-46West Virginia Board of Education policy 2510

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