9. Grading of Special Education Students

Principles for Grading students on an IEP:

The issues around whether or when to change the way a student is graded on assignments or how the report card grade is calculated has been a recurring topic in the professional literature and often differ depending on the nature and severity of a student’s disability.

The guiding principles that form the foundation of these Guidelines for Grading Students with Disabilities are based on the latest research on grading practices; standards based education, and theories of grading.

A “tiered” approach is utilized to delineate what applies to all students, options for students with disabilities in the general education curriculum (with or without accommodations and modifications), addressing needs of students participating in an alternate curriculum, and strategies for addressing students with severe disabilities who are “fully included” in the general education setting but working toward alternate standards and other goals.

Guiding Principles

All report cards and progress reports are for the purpose of providing feedback for improvement to the student. The following grading practices are ineffective in providing good feedback on student progress:

Effective grading practices

The most effective grading practices provide accurate, specific, and timely feedback designed to improve student performance.

Grading practices for students with disabilities, particularly report cards, need to be:

The Office of Special and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

OSERS administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA does not have specific provisions on student report cards or transcripts. However, it requires that the individualized education program (IEP) for a student with a disability include a description of:

1. how the student’s progress toward meeting the annual goals set forth in his or her IEP will be measured

2. When periodic reports on the student’s progress toward meeting the annual goals will be provided. These progress reports may be separate from or included as part of the regular report cards.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) provide the following:

*Title II prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities, including public elementary and secondary school systems, regardless of federal financial assistance. Section 504, like IDEA, requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to qualified individuals with disabilities in their jurisdiction.

*Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. This means that with respect to grades, class ranking, honor roll, graduation, and diplomas, students with disabilities must be treated the same as all other students. Section 504 and Title II do not have specific provisions addressing report cards or transcripts. While the laws prohibit public entities from treating persons differently on the basis of disability, they may provide a different aid, benefit or service to persons with disabilities where necessary to provide supports that are as effective as that provided to others. Among the aid, benefits, and services provided to students and parents are report cards and transcripts.

Report Cards/Progress Reports

Report cards are provided to parents to indicate their child’s progress or level of achievement in specific classes or curriculum.

All students at Banks Elementary School are provided report cards/progress reports at the end of each trimester.  All special education students will receive a written progress report related to their IEP goals at the same time as trimester report cards.

All students at Banks Middle School and Banks High School receive two mid semester progress reports and a summative report card at the end of each semester. All special education students will receive a written progress report related to their IEP goals at the same time as the summative report cards.

A meaningful explanation of a student’s progress toward IEP goals, such as a grade, percentage correct or other anecdotal description of the student’s progress is required. The report must be informative and effective in relating the student’s progress.   

The IEP team should document any grading accommodations or modifications that may apply for a student with a disability who receives special education accommodations in a general education classroom.  A symbol or code may be used on a student’s report card to indicate that the student has had a modified curriculum in the general education classroom when accommodations alone do not provide for adequate access to the curriculum.    

Progress Monitoring

All students identified for Special Education services will be administered benchmark testing three times per year (Early September, Mid January and near the end of the school year, not to interfere with administration of state Smarter Balanced/OAKS assessments.  As appropriate, some students may also be progress monitored on a more frequent schedule than the three times annual benchmark testing. Assessments used for benchmark testing may include the MAPS, Dibels-Next, i-Ready, and/or EasyCBM assessments. The purpose of these periodic tests, is to ensure progress toward meeting the annual goals, and to provide objective data for progress reporting.    

Students with more severe disabilities will be administered curriculum based assessments through STAR/LINKS and other appropriate assessment tools appropriate to the level and needs of the student.  

IEP team decisions: