Grading
KIHS adheres to QACPS High School Grading Policy and Regulations. Below is a summary of the policy and regulations.
All grade books will be divided into the following categories and percentages:
Final Exam-15% of the final grade/ Biology courses only=20% of the final grade
Mastery Assessments-45% of the final grade/ Biology courses only=40% of the final grade
A minimum of 6 Mastery Assessments is required for each course, with a minimum of 2 entered into the grade book by the mid-course interim report.
Progress Assessments-30%-40% of the final grade
A minimum of 24 progress assessments is required for each course with a minimum of 12 grades entered into the grade book by the mid-course interim report.
Homework-0%-10% of the final grade
If homework is not used or not maximized at 10% of final grade, then the remaining value is
added to the progress assessment category.
DEFINITIONS:
Mastery Assessment: Mastery Assessments provide timely feedback after the instructional process for the purpose of demonstrating the level of mastery of the skills being assessed. These could include, but are not limited to, major projects, performances, unit tests, chapter tests, etc.
Progress Assessments: Progress assessments for learning are assignments and assessments given at a point in time when the students are progressing towards mastery. Progress assignments should vary in type. These could include, but are not limited to, class work, brief progress checks, and quizzes. Progress assessments are intended to be summative in nature only on a smaller scale when compared to the mastery assessments.
Homework: Homework are assignments completed by a student after school hours and consists of independent practice, which represents an extension of the daily objective.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Late assignments are those that are submitted late not due to an absence. Late work will be accepted with the following restrictions:
a. Work must be turned in within 3 days of the due date (unless circumstances for an extension have been approved by the teacher and/or administration).
b. Work accepted after the expected due date may be subjected to a lower grade due to lateness, not to exceed a maximum reduction of 30%.
Examples:
Due Date: September 13
Deadline: September 14
Student turns assignment in on September 14 and student either receives FULL CREDIT or up to a 10% deduction.
Due Date: September 13
Deadline: September 17
Student turns assignment in on September 16 and either receives FULL CREDIT or up to a 30% deduction.
EXTRA CREDIT
Extra Credit may be offered at the teacher’s discretion. If extra credit is offered, it must satisfy all of the following guidelines:
It must be available to all students.
It must reflect extra learning or understanding, not participation.
It must clearly relate to, or extend, content from the area it is assigned.
It must be reported as a progress assessment and carry a weight that is no more than an average / typical progress assessment.
Extra credit is not to be used to elevate a grade to passing when a student has not met course standards.
A student electing not to complete extra credit cannot be penalized.
MAKE-UP WORK REQUIREMENTS
Whenever a child is absent, it is important for the child to have access to the information presented in class. The teacher will post work to Schoology and it is the student’s responsibility to check their Schoology account for missed instruction and assignments. If the student is absent for multiple days, parents/guardians and teachers are encouraged to communicate regarding make-up work that may be completed while the child is absent. It is the child’s responsibility to turn in the work to the teacher. A student shall be allowed a reasonable number of days, at least equivalent to the number of days absent to make up work.
GRADE APPEAL
If a student believes a course grade is unfair, unjust, or incorrectly calculated, the student may appeal the grade issued via the completion of the Grade Appeal Form. Grade appeals for semester 1 must be filed by April 1st. Grade appeals for semester 2 must be filed by November 1st. The grade appeal process is outlined below.
Speak with the teacher who issued the grade to make sure the student understands how the grade was earned/calculated. If this conversation resolves the dispute, the process ends here. If the teacher agrees that there was error in the grade, the teacher must file a Grade Change Form with the Academic Dean. If the issue is not resolved and the student still disputes the grade issued, then the student must have the teacher initial the form and move on to the next step.
The student must speak with the Academic Dean to review the grade compliance with the QACPS grading policy and the class syllabus. If the Academic Dean concludes that an error was made in determining the grade, they must completed and submit a Grade Change form. If the Academic Dean determines that the grade is unjust but cannot determine what the correct grade should be or if the Academic Dean upholds the original grade issued and the student still disputes the grade, the Academic Dean must initial the form and the student moves on to the next step.
The student must collect proof of why they believe their grade is incorrect. They must submit all information requested on the grade appeal form and write a letter to the Principal explaining their point of view. This must be submitted to the Principal's office within 15 days of the last day of the marking period.
Should the student wish to appeal the Principal's decision, they should write a letter to the Assistant Superintendent of Schools within 5 business days of the Principal's decision.