ELEMENTARY GRADING GUIDELINES

The Burleson Independent School District is committed to creating an environment where quality assessment and evaluation will occur to communicate and improve student learning.  Assessment tools are designed to accurately assess students’ mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Formative and summative assessments are important to facilitate student learning. Formative assessment (Assessment FOR Learning) occurs during the stage of learning in which students are “forming” their understanding of the concepts being taught. Summative assessment (Assessment OF Learning) occurs at a point in the learning where the teacher is assessing and evaluating mastery of the concepts being taught.

Examples of formative assessment include but are not limited to the following:

• Class discussion

• Daily practice

• Independent practice

• Homework

• Teacher observation

• Checkpoints

Examples of summative assessment include, but are not limited to the following:

• Quizzes and/or Tests

• Projects

• Presentations

• Reports

Progress Reporting

The communication of student achievement is based on the following principles:

1. Individual achievement of clearly stated learning goals shall be the primary basis for academic grades and provide an accurate reflection of what each student knows and can do at that point in time. The effectiveness of communication is determined by the accuracy and meaningfulness of the information about the evidence of student learning.

2. Progress reporting and grading period grades shall reflect student mastery of learning goals to that point in time. Summative grading period grades may be adjusted to reflect additional evidence of mastery of any learning before the end of the grading period.

3. Grading and reporting shall always be done in reference to specified learning goals, comparing a student’s performance against a standard rather than against other students in the class.

4. Grades shall be calculated in a manner that ensures that the grade each student receives is a fair reflection of what he or she knows and has demonstrated, emphasizing the most recent summative assessment information.

5. Grades shall be posted in Skyward within 5 school days from the date an assignment is received by the teacher.

Promotion

In grades 2-5, promotion to the next grade level shall be based on an overall average of 70 on a scale of 100, based upon course-level, grade-level standards (TEKS) for all subject areas, and a grade of 70 or above in English/Language Arts and Math and a grade of 70 or above in Science or Social Studies.

Assignment of Grades

The assigning of a grade in a particular course should reflect a student’s mastery of the skills and content of the course. Grades shall be assigned according to the following:

1. Grade shall be based on a 100 point scale, with 70 being passing.

2. Grades shall not be awarded for any non-academic activities such as a compliance grade for returning a report card.

3. To receive a grade in a subject, the student must be enrolled for at least the last 15 days of the grading period. If grades for that grading period are received from the previous school, they will be averaged with the current grades.

4. Language Arts grading period averages receive the following weights:  45% Reading, 45% Writing, 10% Spelling. Grades taken should reflect the percentages.

5. A grade of 69 for the grading period is discouraged as it is difficult to justify.

Reassessment Policy (Summative Assessments)

1. A teacher shall reteach and retest a targeted group of students when 40% or more of that class has failed a summative assessment. The teacher shall record the higher of the two grades earned for those students being retested. Reassessment should occur within one week of the original assessment.

2. When less than 40% of a class has failed an assessment, a teacher shall reteach and retest individual students who have failed the assessment. The student will earn the higher of the two grades.

Progress Reports and Parent Conferences

At every three-week interval (or at the mid-point of the grading period), progress reports will be given to every student in grades 2-5 with an average of 75 or below in any subject.  Students are to return the progress report signed by a parent if the performance level is a 75 or below. This allows failing students or students at risk of failing sufficient time to improve their grades and gives parents information to help their children address their grades(s).

If a progress report is not returned within two days of the distribution of progress reports, the teacher will initiate parent contact for any student whose average is 75 or below. The time period after the progress report but before the report card is an important period to monitor a student’s cumulative grade. Contact shall be made to keep the parent aware if a student’s grade falls below passing during this time.

Kindergarten and 1st grade will report progress for students performing below level every 3 weeks, by a written report, parent conference, email or phone conference. Sending progress reports for students working on or above grade level will be a campus-based decision determined by the teachers and campus administrators. Teachers are expected to regularly communicate and conference with parents regarding their student’s academic progress.

Minimum Number of Grades

During each grading period, a minimum of 6 (six) grades shall be assigned and recorded for each core subject. Grades should be based on mastery of the curriculum. Exemptions to this shall be based on a specific rationale and mutual agreement between the principal or his/her designee and the teacher.

Homework

Homework (defined as the repeated practice of previously taught concepts; not new learning) should be evaluated in a timely manner and used as a method to provide students with specific feedback on their performance of the assigned tasks. Homework will be scored for feedback OR graded for a recorded grade for the grading period. Homework should only be assigned for reinforcement of skills and concepts taught in class. It should not be assigned for punitive measures. Homework should have value, should result in a higher performance level on summative activities, and should be included in the total grade to encourage students to complete work productively and on time.

Incomplete Assignments

The consequence for not completing work is to do the work. Teachers will give students the opportunity to complete assignments and/or homework. This will be a campus-based decision.

Make-Up Work

1. All students shall be allowed to make-up work when they are absent from class. They shall have a time equal to days absent from class to complete all missed assignments. Under extenuating circumstances such as long-term illness or family emergencies, teachers may choose to give students more than one day for each day missed to make-up assignments. In situations where the assignments were given before the student was absent, a shorter time frame may be required at the teacher’s discretion.

2. Tutorial time may be used to administer a make-up test or quiz to prevent the student from missing additional class time.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes cheating or copying the work of another student, plagiarism and unauthorized communication between students during an assignment or test. The determination that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty shall be based on the judgment of the classroom teacher or other supervising employee, including the consideration of written materials and observation or information from students. Students found to have engaged in academic dishonesty shall be subject to disciplinary and/or academic penalties. Such action shall be determined jointly by the teacher and campus administrator.

Work Ethic

Work Ethic grades will be reported to parents every grading period. Teachers will use the district-developed rubric to promote consistency. The rubric can be viewed below: