Whitmore Lake Public Schools
Administrative Guidelines
 

5421A - GRADING

Since grades play such a significant role in the life of a student, it is imperative that the Board of Education's grading policy be implemented with as much professional expertise as can be applied. In determining grades at the various levels, staff should observe the following administrative guidelines.

Grades W.L.E.S. K-3

Reporting in these grades will consist of a report card with descriptive marks and a narration. Descriptive marks will be:
 

VG = Very Good
 

G = Good
 

S = Satisfactory
 

N = Needs Improvement

Principals, teachers, and other professional staff associated with these grades are to prepare a description of each of these words which will explain the following two (2) characteristics of learning:

 A.The quality and, when appropriate, the quantity of what the student has accomplished and can apply that makes their learning very good, good, satisfactory, and needs improvement. This description is not to be based on comparisons with other students.
 B.The level of current effort, social interaction, and emotional, physical, and social control over self that qualifies a student as very good, good, satisfactory, and needs improvement.

Grades M.S. and H.S. 4-12

Reporting in these grades will be by report card using the following marking system:
 

A

-

90

-

100

Excellent
 
 

B

-

80

-

89

Above Average

C

-

70

-

79

Average
 
 

D

-

60

-

69

Below Average
 
 

F

-

Failing
 
 

P

-

Pass
 
 

I

-

Incomplete
       
 

U

-

Unsatisfactory Completion of Credit

The principal in collaboration with all teachers at a particular grade or of a particular course, shall develop an explanation of the criteria and standards that will be used to qualify a student to be graded excellent, good, satisfactory, minimum, or failing.

The explanation may not make use of normative (bell-curve) standards.

The explanation shall include among others, two (2) types of criteria:

 A.Current Accomplishment - what the student can consistently apply from what s/he has learned
 B.Current Performances - what the student is learning as demonstrated by assignments and classroom activities

In addition to a description of what each of the two (2) criteria (and any other the staff selects) consists of, the explanation should describe the quality (how well) of the accomplishment, performance, and attitude to differentiate outstanding from good, good from satisfactory, etc.

The teachers should also weight these criteria in terms of relative importance in determining the grade. Staff members need to agree on such issues as, for example:

 A.Should accomplishment and performance ratings be of equal importance?
 B.Should a student who does well in daily performance but has trouble making proper applications of the learning have his/her grade reduced? If so, by how much?
 C.Should a student's grade be reduced if his/her application meets standards but daily performance doesn't? If so, by how much?

These grading criteria and standards shall be approved by the Superintendent prior to the start of the school year.

To ensure consistency, all teachers at the grade or course level shall use the same criteria/standards in grading their students.

Each principal shall send a copy of these grading criteria/standards to all parents of children in these grades (or courses) prior to the first day of school and shall ensure that they are the basis for discussion and decision making at all parent conferences.

General Considerations

Students will receive one grade per subject at the end of each grading cycle.

The final grading system to be used will be:

*2 Marking Periods + FE = TTL PT Earned = Semester Grade

TTL PT Available

*Final grade equals: 2 marking periods (i.e. Q1 ÷ Q2) plus, final exam, if given, equals total points earned divided by total points available equals semester grade.