Grading Policy Guide JHS 157
All Subjects 2023-2024
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
Students’ grades are evaluative and descriptive tools that help communicate what the student has learned. Grades provide feedback to students as well as to parents/guardians on the student’s individual understanding of academic standards and progression through a subject. Grades are seen and interpreted by families, teachers, supervisors, and other stakeholders. When earned in a consistent, equitable, and transparent fashion, grades serve the following purposes:
● Demonstrate students’ level of understanding and skills in a subject at a specific point in time. Students and parents are encouraged to view student grades on a real-time basis by logging into their individual DOE Grades accounts.
● Reveal areas of improvement and subjects still in need of support. Students that are not meeting proficiency (Grade of 65 or better) have several support opportunities available to them. Parents are asked to please contact their child’s guidance counselor.
● Inform teachers’ curricular, instructional, and organizational decisions. In this manner, grades are utilized to plan differentiated instruction for students.
● Identify which students need more assistance or differentiated learning.
● Indicate whether a student passed or failed a particular course or subject at the end of a term/Marking Period – we have four marking periods.
● Contribute to decisions about students’ programming choices and post-secondary options.
● Influence promotion decisions, as well as the high school and college admissions process.
Alignment of rubric scores to Percentage scores
Level Score Percentage Score
1 55-64
2 65-79
3 80-89
4 90-100
Grading Policy is uniformed by Grade and Subject; Subject teachers will share the grading policy with students/parents/guardians at the start of each school year and upon request. The grading policy is consistent by grade and for each subject.
Technology
Teachers may on any given day require use of an internet-enabled device for either instruction or testing, so all students should bring a charged device (not cell phone) to and from school each day. The device could be their own, or one provided by the NYCDOE[1]. If a student does not have a device with them, they will be considered unprepared, which will affect their classwork and participation grades.
Opportunities to Improve Assessment Grades
Summative, or end-of-unit, assessments provide insight regarding student mastery of learning objectives, as well as readiness to move onto more challenging material. However, summative assessments provide learning opportunities in and of themselves. When students see their performance and teacher feedback on summative assessments, they understand which areas are still in need of improvement, which misconceptions linger, and which skills need fine-tuning. Teachers in major subject areas will allow students one opportunity to improve their end-of-unit assessment grades. Final grades on these assessments will reflect a student’s ultimate proficiency.
Science, Social Studies, and Math extra credit: Students who score less than 100 on end-of-unit assessments (post-tests) can schedule a make-up assessment with their teachers after extra-help sessions. If the make-up assessment grade is higher than the original grade, the two will be averaged for the final assessment grade. If the make-up assessment grade is lower, the original grade will stand. In English Language Arts, students will have the opportunity to improve their grade by completing written test corrections. After receiving individual test results, students will review the questions they answered incorrectly and will justify the correct answer with detailed explanation and analysis. If explanations are on topic and include standards-based language, they are scored as a separate quiz grade giving students the opportunity to earn an additional grade of 100 to be averaged into their overall grade.
Homework Policy
Homework is intended to support learning standards and classroom instruction. Besides offering the opportunity to preview or practice the standards and skills covered in the classroom, consistent completion of homework boost students’ confidence levels and fosters positive independent work habits. While not all homework assignments will receive a grade, parents should check homework every night to develop a more comprehensive picture of their children’s mastery of standards and to promote adherence to academic routines and structure.
For students who were present the day homework was assigned, homework assignments and projects are expected to be handed in on the days that they are due, and will not be accepted for full credit more than one school day after the due date. Assignments and projects handed in more than one day late can earn half credit. Assignments handed in more than three days after the due date will not receive credit.
Students who missed class the day homework was assigned should consult with subject-area teachers to determine an appropriate and reasonable timeline for missed work.
Teachers have the discretion to consider how individual student and family circumstances may allow for additional due date flexibility.
Student Promotion
The decision to promote a student will be based on multiple measures of progress and performance in all subject areas, including student work, teacher observations, grades, and assessments. If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) your child will be held to the promotion criteria listed on the IEP. If your child is not promoted in June because the child has not met promotional criteria, your child will have the opportunity to attend summer school and continue to work toward meeting promotion criteria.
In 6th and 7th grades, not passing (65) 2 or more Core Subjects (ELA/SS/SCI/Math) will result in SITC support (summer school). In the 8th grade, not passing one Core Subject will result in SITC support.
Not meeting proficiency
● Students are considered not meeting proficiency if their subject average is below a 65.
● Students in our honors classes are considered not meeting proficiency with a subject grade below an 80.
● Make-up work – Students are given opportunity to make up work (lunch and learn/time extension on assignments, etc.), with considerations to individual circumstances.
Each marking period students can achieve gold or silver honor roll based on their MP average as follows:
Silver Honor Roll- 85-91.99
Gold Honor Roll- 92-100
Students receiving an “N” or “U” in conduct are not eligible to earn Honor Roll for that MP
Course weight for average purposes (Based on frequency of sessions per cycle) ELA 1.00
Math 1.00
Science 1.00
Social Studies 1.00
ELA/ENL 1.00
PE .25
Arts (Music/Chorus/Fine Art/STEM/Computer Science/Dance) .50
Foreign Language (Spanish) .50
Health P or F (no weight)
Classes that only meet 1 or 2 times per Cycle (health/6th grade STEM): P or F (no weight)
SETTS (P or F no weight)
Regents 8th Grade Algebra/Bio/US History 1.10 (Increased weight due to High School course work)
Levels and Numerical Alignment:
Level 4: Meeting Standards With Distinction – The student always demonstrates superior understanding of the content, concepts and skills for the learning standards and key ideas being assessed. For numerically graded tests, the student scores 95% or above.
Level 3: Meeting Standards – The student usually demonstrates an understanding of the content, concepts and skills for the learning standards and key ideas being assessed. For numerically graded tests, the student scores between 80% and 94%.
Level 2: Approaching Standards – The student sometimes demonstrates an understanding of the content, concepts and skills for the learning standards and key ideas being assessed. For numerically graded tests, the student scores between 65% -79%.
Level 1: Below Standards – The student rarely demonstrates an understanding of the content, concepts and skills for the learning standards and key idea (50%-64%)
