File: IKA-R/IKAA-R/IKAB-R (pdf)
Adopted: September 25, 1980
Revised: June 14, 2005
GRADING SYSTEMS AND STUDENT PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS
Elementary Grading and Reporting
Assessing and reporting student progress is the core of communication between school and home. All forms of reporting, including progress reports or conferences, should report the student's individual progress toward achieving grade level standards in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and physical education as well as second language acquisition when applicable, based on a body of evidence. In addition, the report will communicate separately information about student attitudes, study habits, social development, and any other areas determined by the school and home. Report forms should provide space for comments by both teachers and parents. A space for attendance shall be included.
Reports will be provided on a regularly scheduled basis but no less than three times a year. Conferences are an integral part of communication between school and home and an opportunity to conference will be provided at least twice during the year. Reports will be provided to parents in a language they can understand whenever possible. Parents will be notified if a student is at risk of not meeting grade level standards prior to the trimester/semester grading report.
At grades kindergarten through five, grade reports will consist of communicating whether students are making sufficient progress during the year to enable them to meet grade-level standards by the end of the year. In addition, the end-of-year grade report will include whether the student met, did not meet, or exceeded the grade level standard. The end of year grade report is not an average of the previous grading periods but reflects the level of the student’s achievement at that point in time. No summative letter grade will be given at this level.
Each elementary school may also decide, in collaboration with parents, whether they wish to give summative letter grades at grade four and/or five. This practice shall be consistent within the school for all teachers at a given grade level.
Grading Scale
Elementary students in Boulder Valley School District will receive a rating both for student progress and for academic performance related to content standards, using the following scales:
Student Progress:
E = Excellent Progress
V = Very Good Progress
S = Some Progress
N = No Progress
Academic Performance Levels for Content Standards
4 = Advanced Achievement of Standard
3 = Proficient Achievement of Standard
2= Partial Achievement of Standard
1 = Does Not Meet Standard
Blank Space = Not Addressed This Grading Period
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities participating in regular education classes, whether receiving instructional accommodations or not, should be graded in the same manner as students without disabilities unless the student is on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and there is an indication on the IEP that the student is to have a modified curriculum in that class or content area. If a student with an IEP has a modified curriculum so that he or she is not being held to the same standards in terms of content or performance level (difficulty) as students without disabilities, then the grade should reflect achievement toward meeting the modified curriculum standards, whether instruction is provided in the regular education classroom or a separate classroom environment. Additional guidelines and information are provided in exhibit E associated with the policy and regulation. A brief illustration of the difference between modified curriculum and instructional accommodations can be found in Exhibit E-5.
English Language Learners
English Language Learners (ELL) participating in regular education classes should be graded in the same manner as all other students. ELL participating in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs should be graded on the student’s individual progress toward achieving grade level standards in the areas of mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and physical education, and should also be graded on the student’s individual progress toward achieving English language development standards. ESL is an alternative language arts program for ELL and each individual ELL should receive a grade in either English Language Arts or in ESL using an appropriate report. Additional information is provided in Exhibit E-4.
Secondary Grading, Examination, and Reporting
Assessing and reporting student progress at the secondary level continues to be the core of communication between school and home. In addition, especially at the high school level, reporting student progress also serves as a critical form of communication with external groups for purposes such as athletic eligibility, scholarship decisions, employment, and admission to post-secondary institutions.
All forms of reporting, including progress reports or conferences, should primarily reflect the student's individual progress toward the program expectations in art, music, and physical education, and achieving the course level curriculum in all other subject areas. The impact of other factors such as effort, behavior, and attitude shall be clearly explained in the grading procedures distributed by the teacher.
Reports will be provided on a regularly scheduled basis but no less than three times a year. Since conferences are an integral part of communication between school and home, opportunities for parent-teacher conferences will be provided. Reports will be provided to parents in a language other than English whenever possible as needed or requested.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities participating in regular education classes, whether receiving instructional accommodations or not, should be graded in the same manner as students without disabilities unless the student is on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and there is an indication on the IEP that the student is to have a modified curriculum in that class or content area. If a student with an IEP has a modified curriculum so that he or she is not being held to the same standards in terms of content or performance level (difficulty) as students without disabilities, then the grade should reflect achievement toward meeting the modified curriculum standards, whether instruction is provided in the regular education classroom or a separate classroom environment. A brief illustration of the difference between modified curriculum and instructional accommodations can be found in Exhibit E-5.
English Language Learners
English Language earners (ELL) participating in regular education classes should be graded in the same manner as all other students. ELL participating in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs should be graded on the student’s individual progress toward achieving grade level standards in the areas of mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, and physical education, and should also be graded on the student’s individual progress toward achieving English language development standards. ESL is an alternative language arts program for ELL and each individual ELL should receive a grade in either English Language Arts or in ESL using an appropriate report.
A. Grading Scale
Secondary schools within the Boulder Valley School District generally use the letter grades A, B, C, D, and F with the following interpretations and exceptions:
A = achievement at the advanced level (4.0 grade points; 5.0 for weighted courses)
B = achievement at the proficient level (3.0 grade points; 4.0 for weighted courses)
C = achievement at the basic level (2.0 grade points; 3.0 for weighted courses)
D = achievement less than basic level (1.0 grade point; 2.0 for weighted courses)
F = failure to achieve at a level to earn credit
Exceptions:
N = no grade appropriate due to nonacademic circumstances
I = incomplete (automatically becomes an "F" if not completed within the time specified by school building policy)
WF = withdrew — failing (high school only)
WP = withdrew — passing (high school only)
E = progress and attitude satisfactory; achievement less than basic level credit granted (1 grade point – consultation with principal required)
P = no letter grade given, but credit earned
In grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 students may elect to take course work on a pass/fail basis according to written guidelines developed at the building level. In such case, the student will earn either a P (credit earned) or an F (failure). Courses taken on a pass/fail basis are not counted in calculating G.P.A. or rank in class. No plus or minus signs shall be used with the letter grades on permanent records. Plus or minus signs may be used on report cards at the discretion of the teacher. Exceptions to the standard grading system
shall be made only with the approval of the Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership.
If a student repeats the exact course or the same course at a higher level (e.g., Algebra 1 as a repeat for Algebra 1 Basic), only calculation of the higher grade will be included in a student’s GPA and credit will be given only once. The lower grade and credit will be ignored although the course and grade will remain on the transcript. This is the regulation only for classes taken in Boulder Valley Schools. Transcripts from other schools will not be altered.
Honor roll shall be determined by trimester/semester grades of all courses in which the student is enrolled. In computing the total grade point average and class rank of high school students, all subjects shall be given equal weight using the grade point scale outlined above except for those courses which have been approved for weighted grade status. In those situations, one additional point shall be added to the above grade point scale.
Classroom grading procedures shall be distributed in writing and explained thoroughly by each teacher to students during the first week of the course. Parents will be informed as well, either by mail or at functions such as Back to School Night. These procedures must reflect the following information:
- The percentage of the grade that is directly related to achievement of the standards and essential learning results/curriculum for the course and the learning activities and assessments that are included in calculating this part of the grade.
At middle level the minimum percentage shall be no less than 70%.
At high school the minimum percentage shall be no less than 75%.
- The other factors such as effort, behavior, and attitude that comprise the remaining percentage of the grade.
B. Assessments and Final Examinations
The student’s final grade shall reflect performance on agreed upon district-level assessments and rubrics where available and other components of a body of evidence.
In addition, as summative evaluation is an important part of each course, there shall be a final culminating experience in all courses which shall include assessment of student achievement. The method to be used will be a part of the course outline distributed to students.
C. Grade Report Cards
Report cards are sent home following the end of each grading period but in no situation less frequently than every nine weeks. Dates of distribution will be announced at the beginning of the year. Grade reports shall clearly identify whether they shall be considered to be "in progress grades" or “official grades” that will appear on the student’s transcript. Official (end of term) grades should not be an average of the two marking periods but reflect the level of the student’s achievement at that point in time.
D. Written Progress Reports and Notification
Teachers are encouraged to communicate directly with parents concerning student performance. Written notice of unsatisfactory work (D or below) shall be sent to parents in advance of regular end-of-term grade reports. A student may not receive an F or be denied credit unless the teacher has provided appropriate notification to the student and his parent or legal guardian in time that the deficiency could have been corrected. The only exception to this would be in cases in which a dramatic change of performance occurred so late in that grading period that notification was impractical.
E. Teachers' Records
Records of pupil achievement and attendance must be kept accurately by each teacher with ample evidence accumulated to justify the report card grades. No grade assigned by a teacher shall be changed without notification of that teacher, the student involved, and his parent or legal guardian.
F. Transcripts
The cumulative record card (transcript) will show at a minimum the student's census data, subjects, and grades. The cumulative grade point average will be computed and recorded after each official marking period.
Cross References:
IKC
IKC-R, Weighted Grades, Exhibits E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4 and E-5
End of File: IKA-R/IKAA-R/IKAB-R