NEPN/NSBA Code:IKA  

GRADING AND REPORTING SYSTEM

The purpose of the Lewiston Public Schools’ grading policy is to establish a set of guiding principles that all district educators will use to establish a system of grading that fairly, clearly, accurately, and consistently communicates student learning progress and achievement. 

A.  Communicating the Grading System 

To ensure that every student and family has the information and resources they need to understand and appropriately plan a student’s educational decisions, our schools, educators, and staff will clearly and consistently communicate—prior to entering high school and throughout the student’s educational career—all important and relevant information related to the grading systems used in Lewiston Public Schools. 

The Superintendent, through the Principals or other designees, shall be responsible for ensuring that accurate, up-to-date information concerning the Lewiston Public Schools grading system is (1) readily available to all incoming students and their families in the spring preceding the start of each school year, and (2) published on the district and high school websites. A detailed guide to graduation requirements and grading and reporting practices will be disseminated to all incoming ninth-grade students and their families at the time of course selection. This policy will also be referenced in each edition of the student handbook and onthe district and high school websites. As soon as it is practical and feasible, the School Committee expects the Superintendent or designee to inform all students and their families of any modifications made to the grading system. 

B.  Grading Characteristics 

All grading and reporting practices in Lewiston Public Schools will reflect the following design characteristics: 

1.  The primary purpose of the grading system shall be to fairly, clearly, accurately, and consistently communicate learning progress and achievement to students, families, postsecondary institutions, potential employers, and other relevant stakeholders and audiences. 

2. The grading system shall be designed to ensure that students, families, teachers, counselors, advisors, and support specialists have the detailed information they need to make important decisions about a student’s education

3.  The grading system will measure, report, and document student academic performance against a set of clearly defined cross-curricular and content-area graduation standards developed by the administration, faculty, and staff of Lewiston Public Schools. 

4.  The grading system will measure, report, and document academic progress and achievement separately from Habits of Work. 

5.  The grading system will ensure consistency and fairness in the assessment of learning, and in the assignment of scores and levels, across students, teachers, assessments, learning experiences, content areas, and time. 

6. The grading system shall not be used as a form of punishment. 

C.  Habits of Work Grading 

All grading and reporting practices for Habits of Work and behaviors will reflect the following design characteristics using a 4 point scale. 

1.   Administration, faculty, and staff will develop and apply a common set of Habits of Work standards, and related scoring criteria, that teachers will use to grade students on work habits, and/or behaviors. 

2.  The Habits of Work grading system will measure, report, and document Habits of Work, character traits, and behaviors separately from academic progress and achievement. A student achieving a high level of academic success may demonstrate a low level on Habits of Work and vice versa. 

3. Habits of Work will be monitored over the duration of a learning experience and scores, as measured and determined using common assessment methods and scoring criteria, will be reported for each student at the end of a term or grading period. 

4.  The Habits of Work grading system will ensure consistency and fairness in the assessment of work habits and in the assignment of scores, across students, teachers, assessments, course, learning experiences, contentareas, and time. 

D.  Academic Grading Systems 

Lewiston Public Schools will employ a system of grading that reports student learning progress and achievement using a 4-point scale in K-8 and 0-100 in 9-12. 

Using rubrics and scoring guides, individual assessments will be scored in accordance with the following grading systems: 

Grades K-8 

Indicator 

Score

Exceeds 

4

Meets 

3

Partial Understanding 

2

Minimal Understanding 

1

Grades 9-12 Course Grade Reporting 

GRADE 

Numerical Equivalent

A 

93-100

B 

85-92

C 

76-84

D 

70-75

F 

Below 70

1.  If graded, homework will count for 10% of the course grade 

2.  The course grade is based on an average of the grades entered by the teacher for each standard. 

3.  An overall course grade of a 70 or higher earns credit. 

4.  Lewiston High School employs a weighted grade for advanced placement classes using a weighted factor of .025. 

5.  Any changes in the number of reporting standards require approval of the building administrator. 

In grades 7 – 8, a student must earn an overall 2.8 average in any course to pass and if graded, homework will count for 10% of the course grade. Any changes in the number of reporting standards require approval of the building administrator. 

The Lewiston School Committee is committed to maintaining rigorous performance and achievement standards for all students and to provide a fair process for evaluating and reporting student progress. 

Cross Reference: IKE – Promotion, Retention and Acceleration of Students     

  ILA – Tests/Assessments 

Adopted: 

Revised: July 20, 2015 

Revised: June 6, 2017 

Revised: August 21, 2017 

Revised: May 21, 2018 

Revised:April 8, 2019