Grading Policy

INST 3.9

All archdiocesan K-8 schools shall follow this grading policy to ensure consistent, transparent, and fair grading of students' academic performance.

Purpose:

To ensure consistent, transparent grading practices that accurately reflect students' academic performance and mastery of the curriculum.

Commentary/Procedural Points:

Overview of Grading and Reporting

Grades serve as a tool to measure and communicate a student's academic performance and mastery of the curriculum. They provide valuable feedback to students, parents, and educators about students' understanding of the material, areas of strength, and areas needing improvement. Grades help guide instructional decisions, support student learning, and ensure accountability in the educational process. By reflecting academic achievement, grades aim to motivate students to strive for excellence and foster a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Grading by Grade Band

Grades K–2

In Kindergarten through Grade 2, grading is standards-based and reflects students’ developmental readiness and progression toward mastery. The focus is on growth, skill acquisition, and demonstration of understanding through developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Progress is reported using the performance levels. (Consistently Developing, Making Progress, Support Needed, and Not Assessed at this time)

Schools will communicate school-specific grading practices.

Assessment Practices

Assessment methods may include: Teacher observation, Classwork and student discussions, Work samples and portfolios, Checklists and rubrics aligned to standards, formal quizzes and tests.

Formal quizzes and tests may be administered in developmentally appropriate ways to assess student understanding. While traditional numerical weighting is not applied in Grades K–2, assessment results are used to inform instructional decisions and report progress toward grade-level standards.

Homework

Homework is used to reinforce skills already taught and may be graded when appropriate.

Special Subjects

Participation, engagement, and skill demonstration are used to assess subjects like Art, Music, and Physical Education, using the same performance indicators. **Specials that meet 3 or more times per week are eligible to receive letter grades. Specials meeting less than 3 times per week should use the conduct/achievement scale.

Behavior

Behavior is reported separately and is not factored into academic performance indicators.

Grades 3-8

Components of Grading

Grades should primarily reflect the student’s academic mastery of the subject content. Schools will determine the category weighting within these ranges and will communicate school-specific grading practices.

Content Knowledge (50-70%)

This category will represent the student’s mastery of core subject content.

Classwork: Assignments completed during class that show understanding of the material. These assignments should be graded for accuracy, comprehension, and depth of thought.
Practice Activities: These include tasks that help reinforce learning, such as drills, exercises, and review activities. These activities should be integrated with class content and help students solidify their understanding.
Tests and Quizzes: Frequent quizzes and formal tests will assess student retention and comprehension of key concepts. Quizzes assess smaller chunks of content, while tests cover larger units or major concepts. Tests will weigh heavily in this category, given their comprehensive nature.

Assessment of Learning (20-30%)

This category includes more formal assessments, such as larger tests and projects that evaluate how well students have mastered the material.

Projects: Assignments that require students to apply learned concepts in more complex, real-world situations. These projects should be assessed on both the process (e.g., research, organization) and the final product (e.g., depth of analysis, creativity).
Major Tests: These will account for a significant portion of this category, reflecting a student’s overall understanding of unit content.

Skills Application and Critical Thinking (10-20%)

This category assesses how students apply their learning in complex or real-world contexts. It encourages critical thinking and problem-solving, going beyond simple recall of facts.

Problem-Solving Assignments: These include tasks where students need to analyze, synthesize, and apply learned concepts to new or unfamiliar situations. Examples include science experiments, math problems requiring creative solutions, or essay questions that ask students to analyze a situation.
Critical Thinking Projects: These might include essays, presentations, or research projects that require students to demonstrate higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information.

Homework and Practice (No More Than 10%)

Homework and in-class practice activities should provide students with opportunities to reinforce and apply skills and concepts that have already been taught. Homework, completed outside of school, should be purposeful, developmentally appropriate, and should not introduce new content.

Practice activities, completed during the school day, such as exit tickets, fluency drills, or review exercises, support ongoing learning and skill development. Both contribute to a deeper understanding of the material.

Homework: Homework assignments will be graded for completion, and may be graded for accuracy if the learning concepts previously taught. These assignments should provide students with opportunities to practice and review the content discussed in class.

Practice Assignments: Practice assignments are structured tasks completed during class that reinforce previously taught concepts. These may include exit tickets, spelling tests, math fact drills, or other review activities that support skill development and content retention.

Behavior

Behavior should not be included in academic grades. It is essential that grades accurately reflect a student's academic performance, rather than their behavior.

Subjects and Activities Requiring Participation

There are courses and activities in which demonstration of mastery through participation is the only way to assess skills and application. These include, but are not limited to:

Music: Participation in performances, rehearsals, and practice sessions is essential to demonstrate mastery of musical skills.
Art: Active participation in art projects, critiques, and exhibitions is necessary to showcase artistic abilities.
Class Discussion: Engaging in class discussions helps demonstrate understanding and the ability to articulate thoughts clearly.
Physical Education: Participating in physical activities, sports, and fitness assessments is crucial for demonstrating physical skills and fitness levels.

Participation in these activities may be graded according to the expectations for the course or activity. This ensures that students are actively engaged and effectively demonstrate their level of mastery.

May 2025

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