Grading Policy
Remote and Blended Learning Grading Policy
Introduction: As we begin a new school year, we will continue implementing the grading policy utilized last Spring semester for the duration of blended and remote learning. Below is a review of the grading policy.
|
Category |
Percentage |
|---|---|
|
Homework |
10% |
|
Classwork |
55% |
|
Quizzes/Exams |
20% |
|
Projects |
15% |
1. Schools must adjust their deadlines and expectations for submission of assignments to acknowledge the significant impact of COVID-19 on students’ experiences as blended and remote learners. These adjustments may include extending deadlines for individual students, taking into consideration the personal loss, illness, or other trauma that students may be experiencing. Schools are encouraged to lessen or eliminate penalties for late work beyond these adjusted deadlines.
2. The rate at which students are able to engage in blended/remote learning, in and of itself, may not be used as a factor in grade calculations because of the impact of COVID-19 on each individual student’s circumstances. We cannot grade students for participation for the duration of blended/remote learning. Our students will be graded on the following: (1) classwork, (2) exams/quizzes, (3) project/portfolio and (4) homework.
Note: This grading policy will be in affect for the duration of blended and remote learning.
Philosophy and Guidance
*Grading Policy for Regular School Year (not applicable to School Year 2020-2021)
Teachers create multiple forms of assessment that account for students’ varied types of learning styles and needs. Many assessments are in the form of tasks and exams that assess for student mastery/understanding of course and curriculum content; such assessments are in the form of performance assessment tasks. In real-life terms, these performance-based tasks are referred to as projects. Each class will provide three projects (and multiple options within the projects) during the course of each semester. These assessments are designed to check for mastery of specific Common Core aligned standards and inform instruction in ways that indicate student movement toward both skill and content attainment. Teachers develop - in grade teams and/or by department - the appropriate assessments for learning that are to take place (exit slips) after a lesson within a unit. Assessments are designed in order to check student understanding of content and application of required skills. Tasks, checks for understanding, exit slips and common interim assessments are all be formative assessments of learning at various checkpoints – daily from lesson, weekly from unit and every six weeks from the subject curriculum. Summative assessments are in the form of unit tests, marking period projects and course culminating exams. Performance tasks, developed around Common Core Standards, serve as both formative and summative evaluation/assessment tools.
Assessment-Based Grading Policy
Grades are descriptions of student performance –based on data – about student ability and more importantly, the relation of student performance to specific standards. Students and their parents will know – after getting a marking period report card with grades – if the student is ‘far below,’ ‘approaching,’ ‘meeting,’ or ‘exceeding’ standards. This information will be included within every teacher assessment – to develop information linked to student mastery on the final unit exams or projects. Attendance, effort, rate of progress, academic and non-academic skill development are noted in Skedula on the progress report – which is linked to a conventional NYC DOE report card.
Types of Unit Assessments
Teachers use both formative and summative assessments in measuring student progress toward mastery of the Common Core Standards. There are several types of common assessments. All students are required to complete projects based on the content taught within each one of their classes. These projects are graded according to teacher-created rubrics that attend to both content as well as student skill development. Other common assessments are done early in the year and will work toward understanding student reading levels and reading/writing goals. An important common assessment is the work we do in the area of regular assessments, during which teachers develop unit plans, detail and acknowledge specific content and skills addressed throughout the unit, and create an regular assessment (exam) that targets unit content and skills.
Formative Assessments
Formative assessments are used as a diagnostic tool to measure a student’s progress towards mastery of specific skills derived from the core standards. Formative assessments are also used to determine the appropriate level of response to student needs concerning academic intervention or enrichment.
Formative assessments take the form of pre-assessments prior to the introduction of a new lesson to guide teacher question during the mini-lesson, in-class assignments and quizzes, homework, and projects. Formative assessments are designed to prepare students for mastery on the culminating unit assessments and performance tasks. Success on formative assessments is linked to success on culminating assessments. Some examples of formative assessments are: observations, questioning, discussion, entrance/exit tickets, warm-ups, drafts, learning/response logs, peer/self-assessments, practice presentations, kinesthetic assessments, individual whiteboards, constructive quizzes, think pair share, and homework. Teachers record student responses to these assessments to use in their assessment of student learning. *Please note that some of these activities can qualify to be summative in nature – however, if teachers are to do so, they must fully prepare their students for such assessments… and students must be clearly made aware of the fact that those specific assignments are summative in nature.
Formative assessment is not the sole basis for a student’s grade, but rather is to inform instruction, determine interventions and provide students with practice in specific skills. Feedback on performance is communicated through the marking period report cards through the numerical grade and comments. In addition, descriptive feedback provided through rubrics attached to each formative assessment will provide students with an understanding of what they are doing well where they need to focus on improvement.
Although formative assessments are not the sole basis for a student’s grade, consistently demonstrated progress in formative assessments and successful participation in academic intervention services outside of the mandated academic intervention and enrichment class programmed for the student may be used by a teacher to enhance a student’s grade. However, non-participation in recommended intervention services may never be used to detract or deduct from a student’s grade.
Summative Assessments
Summative assessments are given at the end of units to gauge a student’s level of mastery of the standards identified within that unit. All summative assessments are be aligned to the Common Core Standards and must provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of those standards. Summative assessments are the basis of a student’s grade. Examples of summative assessments are Course Examinations, Unit Performance Tasks (Projects), and New York State Regents and Common Core Examinations. Additionally, teachers may utilize, essays, speeches and or demonstrations. Because the goal is mastery, students must be given the opportunity to improve their grade by retaking, rewriting or making–up any failed or missed summative assessment. This is accomplished through re-teaching strategies incorporated by the classroom teacher that address the skills gaps shown in the data report from the summative assessment.
Portfolio Assessments
Every semester, all students are required to complete a portfolio interview. Over the course of the semester, students compile a portfolio for each class that include homework, classwork, notes, and marking period performance tasks that allow students to demonstrate their understanding. Utilizing these portfolios, students study for the hour long interview. Each student and family receives an appointment time with a faculty member. Each faculty member is given materials from their colleagues that are utilized to rate students' responses according to a rubric. During this time, teachers sit with students where they engage in a discussion in order to address each course’s Essential Questions and also to reflect on the semester.
In the last semester of their senior year, students participate in a modified portfolio presentation. Seniors must present their senior exit portfolio in a room of underclassmen. This assessment is worth 10% of their semester grade.
Grading Rubrics
Rubrics provide a fair assessment process that accurately reflects content skills, process skills, work habits, and learning results. Rubrics increase the consistency and objectivity of evaluating assessments. The details of any rubric used must be communicated to students prior to any assessment and must be transparent and fair and aligned to the Core Standards. The rubric or grading tool used must provide students with clear expectations about what will be assessed, as well as standards that should be met. The rubric or grading tool must provide students with information about where they are in relation to where they need to be for success as well as give students guidance in evaluating and improving their work.
Best Practices in Implementing the World View Grading Policy
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Teachers provide many opportunities for students to learn and practice the content before the summative assessment.
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Teachers and students use and record progress on formative assessments to be sure students are on track to master the standards prior to summative assessments.
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Teachers gather and analyze data from formative assessments to adjust teaching activities and ensure student learning.
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For students who do not master the standard on the first summative assessment, teachers are expected to re-teach, provide more practice, and give additional opportunities to master with a different summative assessment.
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Teachers must enter final grades no later than 3 days after the end of a marking period or term
Awarding of Grades
World View High School is semester based. Our school year is comprised of two terms (fall semester and spring semester). Each semester is broken down into 3 marking periods. At the end of each term, students receive a credit for a particular class if they receive a passing grade (see table below).
Possible marks for grading
| Mark | Description |
|---|---|
| 65-100 | Passing Grades |
| 0-64 | Grades that do not warrant credit |
| 1 | (Only for marking period grades) Given to students who were recently admitted and for whom teachers do not have enough data to give a fair and accurate grade. |
| Level | Grade | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced | 85-100 | Passing Grades |
| Proficient | 75-85 | Passing Grades |
| Basic | 65-75 | Passing Grades |
| Below Basic | 55-64 | Failing Grades |
P/F: Pass or Fail
Students taking lab classes will receive one of these letters to indicate their completion of required science labs associated with their core science course. These courses do not bear credit. However, they are necessary for graduation. All students must complete 1200 minutes of lab time by the end of the course to be eligible to take the Science Regents exam.
NX: Incompletes (Only for semester use)
Students may receive a grade of incomplete (‘NX’) if a student has a documented, extreme extenuating circumstance that prevents him/her from completing the course in its established timeframe (e.g., surgery, death in the family). A student who receives an incomplete must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the term following the termination of the course in order to receive a final grade and credit, as applicable. ‘NX’ does not have a pass/fail or a numeric equivalent.
NL: New or Recently Admitted Students (Only for semester use)
Students who enroll in a course after it has started may have missed assignments or assessments needed to generate a complete course grade for a given marking period. These students may be given a grade of ‘NL’ in STARS to indicate this circumstance. ‘NL’ does not have a pass/fail or numeric equivalent. Students who receive a mark of ‘NL’ must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the term following the termination of the course in order to receive a final grade and credit, as applicable.
NS: No Show
A grade of ‘NS’ is given to a student who fails to attend a course and does not participate in any of the work from which a grade can be derived. ‘NS’ has a pass/fail equivalent of fail and a default numeric equivalent of 45 (formerly 40). This mark should be used in egregious situations, when students have been given reasonable chances to make up missed work and their absences are so chronic that only a failing mark is appropriate. Instead of giving failing grades, long-term absentees (LTA) should be discharged appropriately, whenever this is possible. Similarly, students who are on home and hospital instruction should not receive ‘NS’ marks.
NW: Course Waived
Used for PW only
CR: Credit - no numerical grade
When students transfer to the New York City Department of Education and have official transcripts from the high school(s) attended previously, the schools can update their transcripts to award credit(s).
Semester Grades
There are students who may miss the portfolio interview, homework, projects or would be helped by making up this work before the final semester grade. Teachers have the option not to submit a grade at the end of the semester to allow additional time for students to make-up the work. The DOE allows schools to have the option to wait for a grade to be entered for the prior marking period and/or semester for up to 20 days. (WVHS policy is that students will only be able to do so at the end of the semester - teacher's decision).
Calculation of Marking Period Grades
Students will be graded on the following for Marking Periods 1, 2, and 3:
| Category | Description | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Classwork | Independent/Group Work and Entrance/Exit Slips | 30% |
| Participation | Presentations, Discussions, Accountable Talk & Using Evidence from Texts | 20% |
| Exams/Quizzes | Unit, Midterm, Final Exams & Quizzes | 20% |
| Projects | Final Drafts of Projects | 15% |
| Homework | Tasks to be done independently outside of class time | 10% |
| Preparedness | Class Materials | 5% |
Calculation of Semester Grades
The final semester grade is calculated as follows:
| MP1 | MP2 | MP3 | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30% | 30% | 30% | 10% |
Selection of Valedictorian/Salutatorian
The valedictorian and salutatorian are two students selected from the graduating class that embody the mission, vision, and core values of the school community. At World View High School, they are selected using a rubric. The rubric encompasses the following traits: cumulative grade point average, difficulty of coursework, test scores, citizenship/leadership, attendance, and extracurricular activities.
They are selected in their last semester of their senior year. Candidates are expected to have logged at least 100 hours of community service. Valedictorians/salutatorians must have completed 7 semesters of high school, 5 of which must be with World View High School.
