Grading at Stevenson
At Stevenson High School, every aspect of our teaching and learning experience is designed to support our mission of “Success for Every Student.” This philosophy extends to our grading system, the goal of which is to promote each student's individual ability to grow their own learning and navigate the natural fluctuations in their development.
We firmly believe that these experiences help students take ownership of their learning journey, which ultimately instills the skills they will need in order to become independent, self-reliant people. To learn more about our grading system, please click the tabs below.
- The Purpose of Our Grading System
- Interactive Report Card
- Grade Determination
- College Preparation
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Purpose of Our Grading System
The Purpose of Our Grading System
In 2014, Stevenson High School introduced a system designed to more accurately and meaningfully track a student's academic progress throughout the semester. To learn more about our grading system and how it provides more value to students and families, we invite you to watch the videos below.
Interactive Report Card
Interactive Report Card
Because Stevenson's grading system focuses on the student's ability to grow their own learning, there are several ways in which the grading portal, known as the Interactive Report Card, helps portray student progress.
Watch the video tour of the grading portal and how to interpret information about your student's grades within the IRC. You may also read about the grading portal below.
Segment 1: Growth (Not used in Grade Determination)
In our grading system, teachers document each student's weekly progress throughout the semester using the following codes:
- AG - Stands for Appropriate Growth. This means that a student is growing at the normal or above normal learning trajectory, given the academic challenges of the course/unit. This code signals that the student is progressing as expected.
- MG - Stands for Minimal Growth. This means that a student is growing at a flat or shallow learning trajectory, given the academic challenges of the course/unit. This code leads signals possible learning intervention.
- FG - Stands for Failing to Grow (due to skill proficiency). This means that a student's proficiency in course skills is on a negative trajectory due to the academic challenges of the course/unit. This code leads to ineligibility and signals possible learning intervention.
- I/FG - Stands for Failing to Grow (due to missing evidence). This means that a student is failing to progress in the class due to missing assessments and evidence. This code leads to ineligibility and signals possible learning intervention.
- I - Stands for Insufficient Evidence/Incomplete. This means that there is simply not enough evidence collected to determine progress or growth in a course/unit. This code signals that more evidence is to be collected to determine growth. Review of the grade book for missing work and conversation between teacher and student or parent is advised.
Segment 2: Skills (Used in Grade Determination)
This area communicates information about the student's proficiency in each course skill. The following codes are used to indicate the mastery level of each student in the targets and skills of the course:
-
Exceeds
-
Meets
-
Approaching
-
Developing
- Missing
When you select a skill in this same section, you will be able to see which bodies of evidence are active and will count toward your grade.
Segment 3: Intervention (Not used in Grade Determination)
This area of the portal is activated in a student's IRC account only when they have been assigned an intervention. Students who are identified as struggling in a particular course will be assigned to work with their teacher and tutor for additional support in that class. This portion of the IRC will log and display the work that is being done during intervention for students and families.
Segment 4: Practice/Homework (Not used in Grade Determination)
This area of the portal communicates information about the status of a student's preparation for class (ie, homework and possibly in-class work and activities), which can be presented for more than just completion. This section can also be predictive of a student's proficiency in course skills. For any "Turned In" work, a teacher may also decide to communicate how the assignment demonstrates a student's preparedness for the future proficiency events (e.g. in class quizzes, projects, presentations, exams). In this case, the teacher may use the following codes:
-
Prepared - Student has completed homework, quick checks and non-evidential events in a manner that shows they are ready to experience full proficiency events and there is high likelihood of proficiency development.
-
Partially Prepared - Student has completed homework, quick checks and non-evidential events in a manner that shows they are ready to experience full proficiency events BUT likelihood of proficiency development is low.
-
Not Prepared - Student has completed (or not completed) homework, quick checks, non-evidential events in a manner that shows they are NOT ready to experience full proficiency events NOR is there any likelihood of proficiency development.
-
Missing
Grade Determination
Grade Determination
Our teachers determine grades by first reviewing the body of evidence for each course skill. Once they have documented a student's proficiency in each skill, the teacher will assign the most appropriate letter grade. See the steps below:
How A Teacher Determines Proficiency in a Skill
To determine a student's proficiency for each course skill, a teacher will use frequent, on-going, assessments of the students’ progress. Assessments take place at regular intervals to check for understanding and mastery of these skills. Throughout the semester, student performance is collected and reported in the following manner:
- Exceeds
- Meets
- Approaching
- Developing
These assessment scores create a body of work that the teacher will ultimately use to determine a final grade.
How A Teacher Determines an Overall Grade
A student's teacher determines a final course grade by reviewing all student-produced evidence. The teacher looks at the student’s body of work and may consider any clear patterns of growth and non-growth.
Note: If a student has missing assessments, they run the risk of failing the course. In these cases, the teacher may not have enough evidence to determine proficiency and ultimately establish a grade. This may result in an incomplete until the work is completed or a failing grade if the work is not completed.
Re-performance
Students may be allowed multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of classroom skills in various ways, including re-performance. Please note there is no school-wide policy for re-performance. Each curricular division administers these opportunities at their discretion. The following are common ways this could happen:
- Teachers may offer a re-performance after an exam as another attempt to demonstrate learning.
- Prior to the exam, teachers may administer re-performance events that simulate the exam to aid in preparation for the actual exam. In these situations, there may be no re-performance after the exam because they occurred prior.
- Teachers may add sections to each exam that have students continually demonstrate knowledge from the prior unit or units. In these cases, the re-performance is embedded into the exam. There would be no need for a separate re-performance.
If you have questions, please contact your child's teacher.
College Preparation
College Preparation
The goal of our grading system is to help students understand themselves as learners and build self-efficacy — the belief in one's abilities to achieve a goal. Research (Hibbs and Rostain, 2019; Bandura, 2023) shows that self-efficacy the top predictors of sustained success for students pursuing the college path.
With this in mind, our grading philosophy is centered on helping students understand the goals of each class (course skills), reflect on their learning and navigate a path forward to grow and improve. This mindset empowers students to become better advocates for their own learning in college and when they entire the workforce.
Learn more about how our grading can support the college preparation experience below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t homework count toward my grade? What’s the point of homework?
Homework is treated as a way for students to practice and prepare for assessments. Since this “practice and preparation” is never graded, students have the freedom to choose how they want to prepare for upcoming assessments.
Our teachers then record and assess students' level of preparation in the IRC’s Practice/Preparation section. These scores show whether, based on their homework and preparation, the student is ready to participate in more challenging learning and assessments.
Evidence-based grading seems arbitrary and inconsistent between my classes.
In the evidence-based grading system, curriculum, assessment and grading within the same subject area (for example: Mr. Stevenson who teaches Algebra 2 vs. Ms. Patriot who also teaches Algebra 2) is consistent. This consistency is possible because teachers within the same subject area meet regularly as part of a collaborative team to ensure the teaching and learning experience across all classes that cover the same subject area are aligned. Perceived inconsistencies may be due to the differing skills, and therefore differing approaches to grading, that exist between classes (for example, mathematics vs. social studies).
Does evidence-based grading really prepare me for college, which follows a more traditional approach to grading?
Our approach to grading and teaching is designed to help students develop autonomy, competence, responsibility for their learning, perspective, insight, and a sense of identity and belonging. Research (Hibbs and Rostain, 2019; Bandura, 2023) shows that these skills are the top predictors of sustained success for students pursuing the college path.
Armed with these skills, students will have the tools and confidence to navigate their post-secondary experiences and professional careers, no matter how challenging, unique or uncertain these environments may be.
What entries in the grade book count toward the grade?
Entries in the grade book that count towards the final grade will be limited to active assignment scores in the academic standards section of the grade book.
How do re-performances work?
Students are allowed multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of classroom skills in various ways, including re-performance. Please note there is no school-wide policy for re-performance. Each curricular division administers these opportunities at their discretion. The following are common ways this could happen:
- Teachers may offer a re-performance after a summative exam as another attempt to demonstrate learning.
- Prior to the exam, teachers may administer re-performance events that simulate the summative exam. These events prepare students for the exam. In these situations there is no re-performance after the exam because they occurred prior.
- Teachers may add sections to each summative exam that have students continually demonstrate knowledge from the prior unit or units. In these cases, the re-performance is embedded into each summative exam. There would be no need for a separate re-performance.
How are final grades determined?
Teachers will determine final grades by considering multiple points of data emphasizing the most recent data and provide evidence to support their determination.
What counts and what doesn't in this system?
Students will be provided multiple opportunities to practice standards independently through homework or other class work. Practice assignments and activities, including homework will be consistent with classroom standards for the purpose of providing feedback only and will not be used to determine a final grade.
What about extra credit?
Are course skills and standards within the class weighted? No, all skills and standards are weighted equally.
Are the standards weighted?
No.
How do group work projects translate into the standards - the types of skills needed to work collaboratively solve problems, etc?
Group projects are assessed similar to how teachers graded group projects in the past. Students are assessed on rubrics and may be graded individually or as a group. Process standards (collaboration, timelines, group norms) may be built into the rubric.
What kind of feedback is given besides the score in the grade book?
Teachers give ongoing real-time feedback to students about their progress in each course skill. This feedback occurs in the classroom setting, during instruction, assessments, one-on-one conversations, and personal communication (email for phone), if necessary. If a student needs additional support our teachers will initiate communication about tutoring resources at Stevenson.
How does our grading system affect eligibility for sports and co-curricular activities?
An FG weekly growth score on any given week or an F grade projection will result in a non-passing weekly status for the course and lead to ineligibility for sports and co-curricular activities.
How does a teacher decide what is proficient?
Our faculty work in collaborative teams (based on course subject matter) to ensure consistency in curriculum, assessments and grading. A key focus of our team meetings is to define proficiency in each course skill, standardize the rubrics used for assessment, develop a common series of assessments, and standardize the interpretation of student work. This standardized practice is key to fair, rigorous, consistent evidence-based grading.
Resources
Anthony Reibel
Director of Assessment/Research/Evaluation
areibel@d125.org
847-415-4212
Dr. Eric Twadell
Superintendent
etwadell@d125.org
847-415-4101
Troy Gobble
Principal
tgobble@d125.org
847-415-4106
Mark Onuscheck
Director of Curriculum and Development
monuscheck@d125.org
847-415-4124
- Infinite Campus - Login or Register
- Check attendance/schedule
- Interactive Report Card
- Find grades
- Use Infinite Campus log in
- How to Request Access to Infinite Campus/Interactive Report Card (PDF)