Grading at Stevenson

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.

 

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. This means that a student is growing at a negative learning trajectory, given the academic challenges of the course/unit. 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.

This area of the portal communicates information about the status of homework (and possibly in-class work and activities), which can be presented for more than just completion. It also can be about the student's predictive proficiency evidence. There are several ways that a teacher or team may choose to review and use homework to promote learning:

For Instructional Purposes
In some cases, a teacher may choose to give homework to have students prepare for the next day's lesson or to offer up opportunities for self-guided learning. In these cases, the teacher will choose NOT to enter the homework event in the grade book. 

For Completion
If a teacher is reviewing homework for completion only and IS NOT checking it for quality, the teacher may use the following codes:

• T: Turned In

• TL: Turned In Late

• M: Missing

For Preparedness
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

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:

To determine a student's proficiency for each skill, a teacher will use frequent, on-going, assessments of the students’ progress in learning targets. Assessments take place at regular intervals to check for understanding and mastery of the course skills. Throughout the semester, student performance is collected on each learning target 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.

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. 

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. 

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.

If you have questions, please contact your child's teacher.

FAQs

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?
Extra credit will not be given at any time. Re-performances are considered a chance to re-demonstrate learning.

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 feedback both verbal and written. In a standards based system, feedback is often referenced in the rubric for the course/assignment.  

How does the participation in extracurricular activities work? Eligibility?
Any combination of FG and F in their weekly growth and grade projection will result in a non-passing for the course for the week.

How does a teacher decide what is proficient?  
We have done this in our PLC’s through work around common formative assessments.  It should be noted that the teacher does not decide, the assessment decides. Therefore, teachers must create authentic assessments.