Class Policies

How will I be graded?

I use Standards-Based Grading. All of your assessment grades will be recorded as a

• 4 -- Exceeding standard
• 3 -- Meeting standard
• 2 -- Approaching standard
• 1 -- Not yet approaching standard
• IE -- Insufficient Evidence (to assign a grade)

What classroom expectations do I need to meet?

• Have been to your seat and be working on your entry task by the time the bell rings.
• Bring everything you need every day.
• Be respectful.
• Ask questions and share your ideas.

What if I am absent?

Check our Google Classroom stream. Follow the directions you find there. Show up the next day ready to keep up.

What about tardies?

By the time the bell rings you must have already been to your seat and be actively engaged in your entry task.

Are there Retakes? Yes. We handle retakes in different ways depending on the learning target. Unless we are right up against the end of the trimester there are always ways to bring grades up.

How will I be graded?

Grading System: The purpose of grading is to assess, promote, and communicate learning.We grade using the standards-based grading system. Standards-based grading is a way of communicating with parents / guardians and the student about progress the student has made in learning what they are supposed to know and be able to do. It indicates the student’s learning strengths and where additional practice is needed.

Assessments: Assessments are one of the major checkpoints for your learning the science standards. An assessment could be anything from a homework assignment, lab activity, lab reflection, quiz, test or even an exit ticket. All of your assessment grades will be recorded as a 4, 3, 2, 1, or Insufficient Evidence (IE) in the grade book. The meanings of these numbers canbe seen in the table below. Your grade will be based on how you do on these assessments. This enables you, your parents, and your teacher to see what you can and cannot yet do. Thepurpose of grades is to assess and promote learning. Standards-Based Grading communicates the level of your performance compared to the standard, not how much work you have done. If you receive a low grade it simply shows a learning gap; the way to raise the grade is to reach out for help from your science teacher. You will be given multiple opportunities throughout each quarter to demonstrate your mastery of the standards.

Assignments: Daily feedback from your teacher and the other people in your class and consistent self-reflection are extremely important to learning. Daily assignments are practice for the real deal (assessments). Some assignments are stepping stones to essential learning, they need to be done to get you from point A to point B, but they may not show that you have learned the required skills for 8th grade. Therefore, some assignments entered into the grade book will not count for or against your grade. Some assignments may have a score of an IE meaning the assignment was not turned in, or the work was not completed well to a degree that your teacher could determine your level of mastery. ALL assignments given are part of the process to help you learn. Remember, the purpose of grades is to communicate learning.

Grading Scale*:

4 -- Exceeding Standard

3 -- Meeting Standard

2 -- Approaching Standard

1 -- Not Yet Approaching Standard

Effort/Community Skills:

4 -- Consistently

3 -- Often

2 -- Sometimes

1 -- Rarely

*For further information on Standards Based Grading, please reference the Student Handbook.

What classroom expectations do I need to meet?

• Be on time: Have been to your seat and be working on your entry task by the time the bell rings.
• Be prepared: Bring everything you need for class. Bring those things every day.
• Be respectful: Respect yourself, your classmates and your teacher.
• Act with integrity: Be honest in your work.
• Participate: Get involved and ask questions.

What happens if I do not meet the classroom expectations?

If you do not follow our classroom and school rules, consequences will follow. These may include a verbal warning, a time-out in another room, a phone call home, an after-school detention, an office referral, or other creative consequences such as clean-up duties during lunch. Not only are we here to help you academically, but we are also here to help you learn about how to make good choices. We can all work together to help us all grow not just academically but in all the other ways that help us be successful in life.

What if I am absent?

Expected: Check your teacher’s website! Chances are, everything you need to do will be detailed there. Talk to your classmates. Your classmates likely can clarify things for you if you have questions.

Acceptable: Haven’t found what you need and haven’t been able to get your questions answered? Email you teacher.

Less than Acceptable: Talk to your teacher the day you return. If you miss an assessment or lab, you will be required to stay after school to make it up during an assigned time determined by your teacher. All other assignments can be completed at home and turned in within one week after the absence.

Not acceptable: Doing nothing; not taking responsibility yourself for staying on top of things.

What about Tardies?

It is our expectation that by the time the bell rings for class that you have already been to your seat, you have taken your backpack off, your materials are out, and you are actively engaged in your entry task. You will of course be marked tardy if you fail to meet these expectations.

Are there Retakes?

Yes. Always. Period.

Not happy with your grade on a specific standard or multiple standards…learn more!

Do the following:

1. Identify the standard or standards you want to improve on.
2. Get out the list of what you are supposed to know and be able to do.
3. On the list, identify the items that are from the standard you want to improve on.
4. Decide which one(s) you don’t really know that well yet.
5. Let me know what standard you would like to improve on and which items from the list of stuff you are supposed to know and be able to do you haven’t mastered yet. You can do this at an appropriate time in person, or anytime by email.
6. You and I will decide on a plan for how you will learn what you don’t know yet. That might be as simple as going to a website for review or as complicated as coming in after school or at lunch for extra help.
7. Get that learnin’ goin’ on.
8. I’ll decide what the retake will be.
9. You and I will decide when you will take it.
10. Take it.
11. Do a happy dance.

Retakes FAQs

If I do a retake and do better will my grade go up? Yes, of course it will. Your percent grade will increase. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your overall grade will change. Remember, the computer rounds up and down to turn your percentage grade into a 2.5, 3, 3.5, etc.

If I do a retake and do worse will my grade go down? No.

Should I just wait until we have another quiz or test on that standard? That is up to you. If getting your grade to go up soon is important (say for sports or whatever) then maybe you won’t want to wait.

Can I just retake the quiz or test I didn’t do well on? No. Retakes in Science don’t work the way they do in Math. We don’t make multiple versions of the same quiz / test. See step 8 above.

When is a good time for students to talk with Mr. Smith about retakes? The easiest way is for us to talk about it by email. Want to talk in person? The best times would be before school, after school, for you to make a lunch appointment, or at the end of class. When there is independent work time during class that could be O.K. Before or after class is not a good time; I’ll always be in a hurry getting ready for my next class.