5421 - GRADING

The Board of Education recognizes that a system of grading student achievement can help students, teachers, and parents to assess student progress towards personal educational goals.

Grading shall be that system of measuring and recording student progress and achievement which:

1. enables the student, parents, and teachers to learn the student’s strengths and weaknesses;

2. plans an educational future for the student in the areas of greatest potential for success;

3. knows where intervention is required.

Such grades shall measure the students’ progress against his/her own potential and the achievements of others on grade level appropriate subject matter.

The Superintendent, or delegate, shall develop procedures for grading which include the following:

1. each student should know what behavior and achievements are expected at the outset of any course of study;

2. each student should be kept informed of personal progress during the course of a unit of study;

3. all grading systems are subject to continual review and revision, the better to serve the purposes for grading established by the Board;

4. staff should be involved in the continuing program of grading review.

Southern Local Students grades 3-12 will use the adopted grading scale. Grade 2 transitions to this scale 2nd semester. Only grades 9-12 will weight courses.

To receive credit for either a semester course or a yearly course, the student must pass the course with a sixty percent (60%) average or better.

There are six (6) parts to the school’s grading systemfor a year-long course:

• 1st marking period
• 2nd marking period
• 1st semester exam (optional)
• 3rd marking period
• 4th marking period
• Final exam (optional)

There are three (3) parts to the grading system for a semester course:

• 1st marking period
• 2nd marking period
• Final exam (optional)

Letter grade equivalences (4.0 scale)

In calculating an individual’s semester and/or yearly percentage, the marking period grades are multiplied by two (2) then added to the semester test percentage and divided by five (5) for the semester and by ten (10) for yearly averages. If no exam is given, the final grade will be the average of the marking periods. Transfer student’s grades will be pro-rated using the grades from the previous schools if available. All percentages will be rounded to the nearest whole number. The lowest possible percentage in a year-long course for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd marking periods equals forty-eight percent (48%). There is no minimum percent for the 4th marking period. For semester courses, the minimum percentage for the 1st marking period equals forty-eight percent (48%) with no minimum for the 2nd marking period.

In grades 7-12, students’ grades will be recorded in percentages and letter grades on grade cards and permanent records respectively.

Incomplete Policy – all incomplete grades will become a forty percent (40%) if they are not made up by the interim report period. They are not to be assigned just to give students more time to complete work that should have been turned in. An incomplete in the last marking period of the school year will be replaced with the percent that the student has earned at the end of the teacher’s record-keeping day.

This new grading policy will take effect at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. It will not be retroactive for students in grades 10, 11 and 12. Grade point averages for 10th, 11th and 12th graders will reflect the previous grading scale used through the 2008-2009 school year. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, students in grades 10, 11 and 12’s grade point average will reflect the new weighted grading scale from this point forward.

The new grading policy will take effect at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

Grades calculated prior to the 2020-2021 school year will reflect the previous grading scale used through the 2019-2020 school year. All grades calculated beginning the 2020-2021 school year will reflect the new weighted grading scale.

The only exception includes accelerated 8th grade students who have taken high school honors courses during the 2019-2020 school year. These students' transcripts will reflect the new grading scale, effective 2020-2021, for high school honors classes taken during the 2019-2020 school year.

Any disputes overdetermination of Class Rank will be settled by the Superintendent.

Weighting System

Tier I - All College Preparatory Courses:

Tier II - Post Secondary Enrollment Classes/AP

*Any weighted course taught at MHS will require exams. Possible exceptions for senior year, 2nd semester must be approved by the high school principal.

NOTE: Tier classes are subject to yearly review.

After consultation with the principal, teacher(s), and parents/students involved, final decision on any grade shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent.

Weighted Course Criteria Checklist

Weighted Courses:  All Honors Courses, Foreign Language I, Foreign Language II, Foreign Language III, Foreign Language IV, Pre-Calculus, Physiology, Physics, Chemistry, All AP courses, Advanced Art III, Advanced Art IV.

Coursework Tasks to include:

_____ Reading beyond the text

_____Semester exam

_____ Additional assessment (End of Course Exams, Final Exams, AP Exams)

_____ Research paper/project/science lab reports

_____ Oral presentation

_____ Use of technology (internet, PowerPoint, word processing, etc. by students)

Plus the addition of two (2) or more of the following criteria for a weighted course:

_____ Journal

_____ Various essays (writing)

_____ Read/Report on at least one (1) book per quarter

_____ Communications with a politician, business person, civic organization, etc.

_____ Portfolio

_____ Independent study/work

_____ Service learning project

_____ Enter a contest (writing/essay contest, regional science fair, solo/ensemble, art show, etc.)

_____ Other ___________________________________________________________________

*CCP/AP Courses will adhere to the requirements outlined in the approved course syllabus which will meet the college/College Board requirements and include coursework tasks listed above.

Revised 2/19/09
Revised 5/28/15
Revised 6/18/15
Revised 7/19/18