Grading Guidelines

Grading Guidelines K-5

The purpose of the Grading Guidelines is to provide a shared understanding of grading practices.  They also provide a framework for teachers to measure and report student mastery of essential concepts, while providing alignment of student grades with student achievement.  Grading guidelines also provide consistent practice across teachers, grade levels, and schools.

Below is a list of the current grading guidelines for Kindergarten through 5th grade:

• Measurement of individual achievement of learning goals – 60% 
• Multiple measures of learning provided for students to demonstrate achievement on skills and concepts taught 
• Examples include tests, quizzes, writing assignments, projects, labs, or any rubric based assignments 
• Measurement of learning processes – 30% 
• Teacher and peer supported learning activities that take place during class time 
• Examples include shared reading, actors theater, group discussions, group projects 
• Measurement of learning practice – 10% 
• Examples include homework

Multiple Opportunities to Show Proficiency

Students will have at least one additional opportunity available to show proficiency on given standards on assessments. Multiple opportunities are needed so the teacher has clear evidence to determine if the student is proficient in the standard(s). How multiple pieces of evidence are collected is at the discretion of the site grade level team, and should be clearly stated on the website and/ or syllabus. Teachers in like courses and/ or grade levels may choose a different method to collect evidence of proficiency than was used for the first attempt. Additional evidence of proficiency may come from subsequent exams and override the original grade.

• For example, if a student does not show proficiency in Standard RL1 on Unit Test 1 and the teacher knows this will be reassessed on Unit Test 2, the grade for Unit 2 proficiency would be more recent and override the first grade.

Prior to collecting additional evidence of proficiency, a minimum of one of the following must occur:  reteaching, intervention via small group, video instruction and/ or practice at home, tutoring, etc.

Elimination of Non-Research Based Practices

The following will not be factored into grades:  Extra Credit, Curving and/ or Group Grades. In addition, grades will not reflect behaviors, instead this will be annotated in the notes field.

Late Work

Teachers in like courses and/ or grade levels, with administrative approval, will define this practice and clearly state it on the school’s website and/ or student syllabus.  The guidelines must be consistent across the course and/or grade level at the site. Points will not be deducted for late work, instead it will be annotated in the notes field in the grade book and noted on the Report Card when needed.  However, after the timeframe specified in the syllabus, late work will not be accepted and the grade will be permanently recorded as a 0.

Report Cards/Progress Reports

At the 4 Middle Schools (Ashton Ranch Middle School, Dysart Middle School, Sonoran Heights Middle School and Cimarron Springs Middle School), only the final grades on the first and second semester report cards are recorded on the report card..

The District grading scale on report cards (Kinder- 1st) reads: 

• E - Excellent 
• S - Successful 
• P - Processing 
• N - Needs assistance/Support

The District grading scale on report cards (2nd - 5th) reads: 

• A - 90% 
• B - 80% 
• C - 70% 
• D - 60% 
• F - below 60%

Grading Guidelines Grades 6-8

The Grading Guidelines provide a framework for teachers to measure and report student mastery of essential concepts.  Best practices include measuring student learning in multiple and varied ways in order to calculate valid students' grades.  It is critical that student academic attainment be measured, not by the amount of time a student spends on learning, but by the level of attainment in terms of the skills and knowledge that the student has mastered.

Assessment:  

Assessments in Dysart count for 60% of the total class grade in a course.  Assessments may include summative assessments, quizzes, writing assignments, labs, or any rubric-based assignment.

Projects or Collaborative Assignments:

Projects or Collaborative Assignments in Dysart count for 20% of the total class grade in a course.  These may include labs, writing assignments, long-term writing projects, research papers, performance-based projects, collaborative projects, or any rubric-based assignment.

Classwork/Homework:  

Classwork and homework are the students' independent practice of skills and concepts learned in the classroom.  Classwork/ homework will count for 20% of a course grade.

Multiple Opportunities to Show Proficiency

Students will have at least one additional opportunity available to show proficiency on given standards on assessments. Multiple opportunities are needed so the teacher has clear evidence to determine if the student is proficient in the standard(s). How multiple pieces of evidence are collected is at the discretion of the site grade level team, and should be clearly stated on the website and/or syllabus. Teachers in like courses and/ or grade levels may choose a different method to collect evidence of proficiency than was used for the first attempt. Additional evidence of proficiency may come from subsequent exams and override the original grade.

• For example, if a student does not show proficiency in Standard RL1 on Unit Test 1 and the teacher knows this will be reassessed on Unit Test 2, the grade for Unit 2 proficiency would be more recent and override the first grade.

Prior to collecting additional evidence of proficiency, a minimum of one of the following must occur:  reteaching, intervention via small groups, video instruction and/ or practice at home, tutoring, etc.

Elimination of Non-Research Based Practices

The following will not be factored into grades:  Extra Credit, Curving, and/or Group Grades. In addition, grades will not reflect behaviors, instead, this will be annotated in the notes field.

Late Work

Teachers in like courses and/ or grade levels, with administrative approval, will define this practice and clearly state it on the school’s website and/or student syllabus.  The guidelines must be consistent across the course and/or grade level at the site. Points will not be deducted for late work, instead, it will be annotated in the notes field in the grade book and noted on the Report Card when needed.  However, after the timeframe specified in the syllabus, late work will not be accepted and the grade will be permanently recorded as a 0.

Report Cards/Progress Reports

Official report cards/progress reports are posted eight times a year (four per semester). Only the final grades on the first and second semester report cards are recorded on the official transcript. 

The District grading scale on report cards reads: 

• A - 90% 
•  B - 80% 
•  C - 70% 
•  D - 60% 
•  F - below 60%

Appealing a Grade

Faculty members are vested with the authority to establish course requirements and standards of performance aligned to District grading guidelines. It is the responsibility of faculty to articulate and communicate course requirements and standards of performance to students at the beginning of each course and apply all grading criteria uniformly and in a timely manner. Final grades submitted by faculty are presumed to be accurate and final. A student, who has questions about a grade received in a course, should seek to resolve the issue by first consulting with the instructor.

Grounds for a Grade Appeal

Students can appeal a grade only when they can document that one or a combination of the following has occurred:

• An error in calculating the grade
  
• Failure to follow grading policy
• Assignment of a grade based on reasons other than the announced criteria and standards
  
• Assignment of a grade based on factors other than student achievement, e.g., personal bias
  
• Inconsistent or inequitably applied standards for evaluation of student academic performance
  
• If the student believes that the grade received is based upon unlawful discrimination, or sexual harassment, as defined in District policies and procedures, the student should proceed with the process under these policies
  

The Appeal Process

When students believe that they have grounds for appealing a grade issued by an instructor because of an occurrence of one or more of the above mentioned circumstances, the following procedures must be followed:

The student/parent/guardian must submit a written request to the principal requesting the grade be reviewed and include the documentation to support the grounds cited for the request.  The student/parent/guardian must attach substantiating documentation that demonstrates the occurrence of one or more of the above-listed grounds for appeal. The student must also attach documentary evidence of the level of achievement in support of the particular grade that the student believes he/she should have been awarded.  This must occur within fifteen (15) days of the submission of the grade for the course.  Then, the principal will forward this request to the instructor.  The instructor will provide a written response, including any appropriate documentation, within fifteen (15) days. The decision of the grade appeal is final.  K-5 students can appeal a quarter or semester grade.  6-12 students can only appeal a semester grade.

However, if the student believes that the grade received is based upon unlawful discrimination, or sexual harassment, as defined in District policies and procedures, the student should proceed with the process under these policies.

Grading Guidelines Grades 9-12

The Grading Guidelines provide a framework for teachers to measure and report student mastery of essential concepts.  Best practices include measuring student learning in multiple and varied ways in order to calculate valid students' grades.  It is critical that student academic attainment be measured, not by the amount of time a student spends on learning, but by the level of attainment in terms of the skills and knowledge that student has mastered.

Assessment:

Assessments in Dysart count for 60% of the total class grade in a course.  Assessments may include summative assessments, quizzes, writing assignments, labs, or any rubric-based assignment.

Projects or Collaborative Assignments:

Projects or Collaborative Assignments in Dysart count for 20% of the total class grade in a course.  These may include labs, writing assignments, long-term writing projects, research papers, performance-based projects, collaborative projects, or any rubric-based assignment.

Classwork/Homework:

Classwork and homework are the students' independent practice of skills and concepts learned in the classroom.  Classwork/ homework will count for 10% of a course grade.

Final Exams: 

Finals will count for 10% of a student's grade. Finals measure a student's mastery of all essential content for the semester.  Finals may not be retaken. Finals are administered for students in December and May.

Multiple Opportunities to Show Proficiency

Students will have at least one additional opportunity available to show proficiency on given standards on assessments. Multiple opportunities are needed so the teacher has clear evidence to determine if the student is proficient in the standard(s). How multiple pieces of evidence are collected is at the discretion of the site grade level team, and should be clearly stated on the website and/ or syllabus. Teachers in like courses and/ or grade levels may choose a different method to collect evidence of proficiency than was used for the first attempt. Additional evidence of proficiency may come from subsequent exams and override the original grade.

• For example, if a student does not show proficiency in Standard RL1 on Unit Test 1 and the teacher knows this will be reassessed on Unit Test 2, the grade for Unit 2 proficiency would be more recent and override the first grade.

Prior to collecting additional evidence of proficiency, a minimum of one of the following must occur:  reteaching, intervention via small group, video instruction and/ or practice at home, tutoring, etc.

Elimination of Non-Research Based Practices

The following will not be factored into grades:  Extra Credit, Curving and/ or Group Grades. In addition, grades will not reflect behaviors, instead this will be annotated in the notes field.

Late Work

Teachers in like courses and/ or grade levels, with administrative approval, will define this practice and clearly state it on the school’s website and/ or student syllabus.  The guidelines must be consistent across the course and/or grade level at the site. Points will not be deducted for late work, instead it will be annotated in the notes field in the grade book and noted on the Report Card when needed.  However, after the timeframe specified in the syllabus, late work will not be accepted and the grade will be permanently recorded as a 0.

Standards Based Grading

Standards Based Grading is currently at three sites, in various English classes.  The school will communicate information about this to parents, guardians and/ or family members. The categories in these Standards Based Grading English classrooms are as follows:

Reading Literature: 25%

Mastery of state standards that relate to reading literature will be reported in this category.

Reading Informational Text: 25%

Mastery of state standards that relate to reading informational texts will be reported in this category.

Writing: 25%

Mastery of state standards that relate to writing will be reported in this category.

Language: 15%

Mastery of state standards that relate to language skills will be reported in this category.

Speaking and Listening: 10%

Mastery of state standards that relate to speaking and listening skills will be reported in this category. 

In a standards based grading classroom, the final exam will not be a separate category. Instead it is used as an additional piece of evidence of standards mastery.

Grade Change Due to Demonstration of Competency/ HIGH SCHOOL ONLY

AP, IB AND CAMBRIDGE CLASSES:  If a student participates in the AP, IB or Cambridge exam, the student is not required to take the course final. If the score on the AP exam is a 3, the student's grade increases by one letter grade. If a student scores a 4 or 5 on the AP exam, the student will automatically earn an A in the AP course.

If the score on the IB exam is a 4, the student's grade increases by one letter grade. If a student scores a 5, 6 or 7 on the IB exam, the student will automatically earn an A in the IB course.

If a student’s score on the Cambridge exam is a C or B, the student’s final grade gets moved up one grade level (except for the FLE English Course). If a student’s score is an A or A” the student will automatically earn an A for the final course grade. No final course grade changes are made for any exam grade below a C. For the Cambridge FLE English Course, only an A or B will qualify.

If a student is proficient on the ASPIRE, ACT, TSA or AzSCI (as defined by the State set cut score on the designated State Exam) the student’s final grade increases by one letter grade. If a student scored the equivalent to exceeds, the student will automatically earn an A in the corresponding course.

Students cannot receive more than one grade bump per class.  Example:  a student cannot bump from a C to a B based on the AP test, and then from a B to an A based on ACT.  Only one grade bump per class will be honored.

Report Cards/Progress Reports

Official report cards/progress reports are posted eight times a year (four per semester). Only the final grades on the first and second semester report cards are recorded on the official transcript.

The District grading scale on report cards reads:

• A - 90% 
• B - 80% 
• C - 70% 
• D - 60% 
• F - below 60%

Appealing a Grade

Faculty members are vested with the authority to establish course requirements and standards of performance aligned to District grading guidelines. It is the responsibility of faculty to articulate and communicate course requirements and standards of performance to students at the beginning of each course and apply all grading criteria uniformly and in a timely manner. Final grades submitted by faculty are presumed to be accurate and final. A student, who has questions about a grade received in a course, should seek to resolve the issue by first consulting with the instructor.

Grounds for a Grade Appeal

Students can appeal a grade only when they can document that one or a combination of the following has occurred: 

• An error in calculating the grade 
• Failure to follow grading policy 
• Assignment of a grade based on reasons other than the announced criteria and standards 
• Assignment of a grade based on factors other than student achievement, e.g., personal bias 
• Inconsistent or inequitably applied standards for evaluation of student academic performance 
• If the student believes that the grade received is based upon unlawful discrimination, or sexual harassment, as defined in District policies and procedures, the student should proceed with the process under these policies

The Appeal Process

When students believe that they have grounds for appealing a grade issued by an instructor because of an occurrence of one or more of the above mentioned circumstances, the following procedures must be followed:

The student/parent/guardian must submit a written request to the principal requesting the grade be reviewed and include the documentation to support the grounds cited for the request.  The student/parent/guardian must attach substantiating documentation that demonstrates the occurrence of one or more of the above-listed grounds for appeal. The student must also attach documentary evidence of the level of achievement in support of the particular grade that the student believes he/she should have been awarded.  This must occur within fifteen (15) days of the submission of the grade for the course.  Then, the principal will forward this request to the instructor.  The instructor will provide a written response, including any appropriate documentation, within fifteen (15) days. The decision of the grade appeal is final.  K-5 students can appeal a quarter or semester grade.  6-12 students can only appeal a semester grade.

However, if the student believes that the grade received is based upon unlawful discrimination, or sexual harassment, as defined in District policies and procedures, the student should proceed with the process under these policies.