Grading

Grading Practices and Procedures

Shenandoah County Public Schools believe that grading should reflect learning.  We recognize assessment and grading not as forms of punishment or reward, but as a means to encourage and promote improved learning.  Mastery learning is used throughout the division.  Grades can be reviewed through Parent Portal.  Progress reports are issued quarterly and report cards will be issued at the end of each course.  

The secondary schools operate on a 4 X 4 Block Schedule with students fully scheduled each semester.  The middle schools have courses that end at the quarter, semester, and other courses are year-long.  The elementary schools have year-long classes exclusively.

Grading Scale (as of 2023-2024) 

Grading Scale Middle and High School 

Incomplete Grades

Teachers may assign “Incomplete” grades in instances where the required assignments have not been submitted due to unusual but excused circumstances. In such cases, the teacher shall assign a deadline for making up the work; however, the work must be completed by the end of the following grading period. Incomplete grades will result in an “F” if not completed.

Student Reports 

Student reports are available through Parent Portal at any time. Report Cards are published at the end of each semester.  Questions related to reporting dates may be directed to the building level administrator.

Middle School Credit Option 

The Standards of Accreditation (8 VAC 20-131-90) for Virginia schools state that parents of students taking a high school credit course in middle school may be allowed to request that the final grade for the class be omitted from their high school transcript. Courses which qualify for this consideration may include Algebra I; Geometry; and Spanish I. The intent of this policy is to encourage students to take challenging courses without penalizing them unfairly for attempting to take these courses earlier than usual in their academic career. 

Parents who want to request that the grade for a course taken under this provision be deleted from the student’s transcript must complete the Middle School Credit Option Form and return it to the middle school principal on or before June 30th immediately following the completion of the course. Please be aware that if the choice is made to omit the grade from the high school transcript, your student will not receive a credit for the course unless he/she takes the course again at the high school level. 

Any courses that are credit bearing will count towards the student's GPA and high school credits for graduation.