Grading Policy

Pearson Ranch Middle School

2023-2024 Grading Guidelines 

Grading Overview

Grades for student coursework will be logical, justifiable, and sufficient in number to assure that the report card grade is an accurate measure of student progress and achievement. Assignments may include daily work or practice, quizzes, tests/exams, or projects.  An overall grade for the nine weeks should reflect academic mastery of concepts and should not include behavior (eg. penmanship, messiness, missing name).  

Grade Calculation

When calculating a marking period average, no single assignment/assessment grade will count more than 30 percent of the total average and no two assignment/assessment grades will count more than 50 percent of the total average regardless of the grade category.  Major projects may comprise more than one assignment

Students will be given a range of 9-18 graded assignments in a  nine-week grading period: the minimum is  2 major grades and 7 daily  grades.

Weighted Grades

Each gradebook must be divided into two categories.  Major grades are weighted at 50% and Daily grades are weighted at 50%.  

Late Work

Student assignments are expected to be turned in on time.  Assignments not submitted by the teacher-determined deadline will be allowed to be turned in late for 1-5 school days after the due date with an automatic deduction of 15 points. Missing work after the 5th day will result in a 0 in Home Access Center (HAC). Students who do not submit work within the five day late window will refer to the Redo Policy.

Redo Policy

Students will have 5 school days after the grade is entered in HAC to retake or redo an examination or assignment for which the student received a failing grade or failed to submit. Teachers will communicate the specific date as needed. If a teacher does not communicate the redo deadline, students will have until 5 days before the end of the grading period to complete their re-do. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery on assignments originally scored below 70% for a maximum score of 70%.

Make-up Work/Absences

Students will have one day for each day of a missed class to make up missed work.  If a graded assignment is given or due the day you are absent, you will have as many days as you are absent to make up the work. Assignments will be marked missing in HAC to remind you to complete the missed work, but you will not receive a late-work penalty if turned in during the acceptable window of time based on your absence. 

Final Exams

Pearson Ranch will not utilize semester/final exams for grading purposes

Teacher Expectations

• Teachers must successfully (confirmed verbal or written contact) contact guardians/parents of any students who are in danger of failing the marking period prior to the last 10 days of the nine-week marking period.

• Teachers will request a Teacher/Student/Parent/Administrator conference to design and implement an Academic Action Plan for any student who scores below 70 for a marking period.

• Teachers will utilize “M” for missing work. A blank box means it is an ungraded assignment. 

• Teachers will clearly communicate due dates and grading deadlines with students and parents.

• Teachers will use TAC comments to communicate work deadlines for make-up assignments and re-take/re-dos.

• Teachers will not take any new grades during the final week of a marking period unless that grade is being taken for the next quarter/grading period.

• Grades must be updated weekly and be current prior to IPR uploads for UIL eligibility purposes. 

• Teachers will enter a minimum of one grade per week in TAC. 

• Schoology is NOT the official gradebook. If teachers enter grades in Schoology, they must ensure the gradebook is synced to HAC daily.

• Categories in the gradebook must be identified as MAJOR (50%) and DAILY (50%).

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic assignment. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:

Artificial Intelligence: Student use of Artificial Intelligence is prohibited. DO NOT let the robots rule you.

Cheating – Copying another’s work either paper or electronic, such as homework, class work, projects, or answers to a test. Cheating is also using the same work for more than one assignment without both of the involved teacher’s permission.

Collusion – Allowing someone else to copy or cheat off of your work. Passing information related to a test.

Duplicating - Copying someone else’s file or assignment in part or in whole.

Plagiarism – The representation of the ideas or work (written work, works of art, such as music, film, theater, dance, and visual arts) of another person as the (student’s) own, without acknowledging the original author or creator.

Paraphrasing – Using an author’s ideas by rewording or rearranging the author’s original words. Paraphrased materials still require the student to acknowledge the source.  

Consequences: It is important to note that all parties involved in academic dishonesty will receive the following consequences.

First offense: Student will meet with the teacher and the parent will be notified. The student will be given the opportunity to redo the assignment, or an alternative assignment. The highest grade that can be awarded is a 70%. The student will receive an office discipline referral for documentation purposes, but no disciplinary action will be taken if the student receives the point deduction.

Second offense: Upon the second offense of academic dishonesty, the student will not be able to redo the assignment and will receive a 0% for their work. The student will again receive an office discipline referral for documentation purposes.

Upon additional offenses of academic dishonesty, the teacher and administration will determine the consequences.