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2420R - Grading, Progress Reports, and Transcripts

Regulation 2420R

Instruction

Impact of Attendance on Grades

At the beginning of each term/semester, each teacher shall specify in writing the student learning goals or standards for his/her respective courses. If participation is used as the basis of mastery of a goal or standard, a student’s grade marks may be adversely affected provided on that day there was a graded participation activity. If the teacher does not so advise students in writing, the teacher may not use attendance and participation in the grade-marking process. Individual students, who feel that an unjust application of attendance or tardiness factors has been made, may follow the appeal process to the building principal.

Home and school will work as partners in the educational development of students. Teachers will keep parents informed about the learning activities of their youngsters. Parents will be made aware at the outset of any classes having special or unique requirements which might affect the student’s final grade.

Grade Reporting in Grades Kindergarten through Five

Formal academic progress reports, or report cards, shall be issued for kindergarten through fifth-grade students three times each year. The exact dates for the first and second reports shall be determined by the school. The first report card shall be issued approximately the 45th school day after the start of the school year. The second report card shall be issued approximately fourteen weeks (70 school days) later. The final report card shall be issued at the end of the
school year.

In addition to these formal reports, teachers and principals are responsible for reporting substantial academic concerns to parents.

A. Students in kindergarten through grade two shall have progress recorded using the district’s “Primary Report”.

B. Students in grades four and five shall have progress recorded using the district’s “Intermediate Report”.

C. Except as described below, all students in a school’s third grade shall have progress recorded using the same report. A school may select to use either the “Primary Report” or the “Intermediate Report” for third-grade students.

D. Individual classroom teachers who have third and fourth-grade students in the same class may elect to use the “Intermediate Report” for the third-grade students. The “Primary Report” may not be used for fourth-grade students, nor the “Intermediate Report” card used for second graders who are in 2/3 multi-age classrooms. 

E. A school may use an alternate report to report academic progress to a parent, provided that the alternate report has been approved by the school’s decision-making team, the assistant superintendent for elementary education and the department of curriculum and instruction.

F. No students may be assigned a final grade of failure unless prior notice has been sent to the parent or guardian in sufficient time for the student to correct the deficiency.

Grade Reporting in Grades Six through Twelve

Report cards for students in middle and high schools shall be issued at the end of each semester. Progress reports shall be issued on a six or nine-week basis.

No students may be assigned a final grade of failure unless prior notice has been sent to the parent or guardian in sufficient time for the student to correct the deficiency. The following shall apply:

A. A grade mark of “E” or “F” communicated to parents on the progress report shall be considered “prior notice”. Additional communication to parents via telephone or note is encouraged.

B. “Sufficient time” shall be determined by the student’s teacher, but in no event shall it be less than 15 school days prior to the end of the term/semester. There may be unusual circumstances warranting a failing grade because of unsatisfactory performance during the last 15 days of the term/semester. In such cases, there must be a parent/teacher contact prior to issuing the failing grade. 

C. In addition, special progress updates must n be issued to all students who received an E or F estimate at progress-report time and are in danger of failing at the end of the term/semester.

D. Special progress update forms shall be made available, the original copy of which is to be given to the student to take home and return signed by a parent or guardian; a duplicate copy is to be sent to counselors on the same day as it is issued. The returned and signed original is to be retained by the class teachers for reference.

E. Telephone communication with parents is strongly encouraged but in cases, regarding potential failures, a written record must follow.

The following grade marks are used to communicate student progress: 

Grade Mark Legend

  • A Excellent
  • A-
  • B+
  • B Above Average
  • B-
  • C+
  • C Average
  • C-
  • D+
  • D Below Average
  • E Fail
  • P Pass
  • F Fail
  • NC No Credit
  • W Withdrawal/Drop

A grade mark of ‘W’ is used for students who withdraw from a class after earning a mark on a progress report, but prior to earning a final mark of A through E or P/F. A grade mark of ‘NC’ is used for special circumstances where credit is not granted, including, but not limited to, audit, incomplete, and culminating project activities. Occasionally a grade mark of “*” may appear on reports cards and progress reports, indicating a processing error has occurred.

High and Middle School Grade Marks and Grade Point Average

The calculation of grade point averages (GPAs) for middle and high school students shall use the procedures described in this section. Rules for the calculation of GPAs shall be consistent with WAC 180-57 “Secondary Education-Standardized High School Transcript.”

A. The calculation of a student’s grade point average (GPA) shall be calculated as follows:

  1. The grade points for each course is computed as the product of the credit value for the course multiplied by the point value of the letter mark/grade earned by the student.
  2. The student’s total earned grade points is computed as the total of the grade points for all courses to be included in the GPA.
  3. The credits attempted is computed as the total of the credit values for all courses to included in the GPA.
  4. The GPA is the total earned points divided by the credits attempted, carried to two decimal places. 
     

B. The point value for grade marks are shown below. Grade marks of A+ and D- are not valid. The minimum passing mark for a course is a D, valued at 1.0-grade points. Students earning a mark of D or higher in a credited high school course (or mark of P in a Pass/Fail course) earn high school credit for that course. Students earning a mark of E in a course (or a mark of F in a Pass/Fail course) do not earn high school credit for that course.

  1. A = 4.0
  2. A- = 3.7
  3. B+ = 3.3
  4. B = 3.0
  5. B- = 2.7
  6. C+ = 2.3
  7. C = 2.0
  8. C- = 1.7
  9. D+ = 1.3
  10. D = 1.0
  11. E or F = 0.0

C. Grades for all courses taken shall be included in the calculation of grade point averages, except as detailed below.

  1. A mark of P, F, W, or NC are not included in the GPA, and are excluded from the calculation of both grade points and the credits attempted.
  2. In some cases, students may elect to repeat a course in order to earn a higher mark. In cases of such repeated courses, the lowest mark earned is not included t in the GPA, and is excluded from the calculation of both grade points and the credits attempted. The highest mark earned is included in the GPA. t
  3. In some cases, students may elect to take a course on a recurring basis, in order to further develop their understanding and skills in the subject. Only courses designated as recurring in the District Course Catalog can be taken on a recurring basis. Three examples of recurring courses would be Journalism/Newspaper, Advanced Art, and Concert Band. Recurring courses are not considered repeated courses. Marks earned on each occasion of taking a recurring course are part of the grade point average.
  4. Some courses are offered only for P/F credit, and are so designated in the District Course Catalog (e.g., Class Assistant courses, or PE credit for participation in athletics). As indicated in item C.1, above, grades of P/F are not included in the GPA, and are excluded from the calculation of both grade points and the credits attempted.
  5. Some courses may appear on the student’s schedule that have no assigned credit value and for which no marks are given. Examples include Homeroom and Advisory. Courses with no credit value are not included in the GPA. 
     

D. Once a term/semester has ended, an extenuating circumstance may require a student’s grade mark for a course be changed. student’s grade mark may only be changed at the request of the teacher who taught the course and no later than the end of the regular semester following when the course was taken. In the case of a graduating senior, that change must be made within 6 weeks of graduation. A teacher wanting to change a student’s final grade mark must provide the principal with a Grade Change Form, including a description of the extenuating circumstance requiring the change.

The principal shall review the request and may approve or deny the change. Approved change requests shall be posted to the student’s transcript and record, and a copy of the Grade Change Form and accompanying documentation shall be place in the student’s cumulative file. A denied change request can be resubmitted by the teacher with additional documentation. If the teacher and the principal cannot agree, the request will be submitted to the Superintendent, or designee, for the final determination. In the event the teacher is not available to make a grade change on behalf of a student, the principal may submit a Grade Change Form along with documentation directly to the Superintendent or designee. Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to: clerical errors in the calculation or posting of the grade mark; data entry errors in the course title; and incomplete work subsequently completed and graded by the teacher.

Standardized High School Transcript

Transcripts shall be consistent with WAC 180-57.

Approved: 8/31/2005

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