Grading

Report Card Practice 

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

Grade Point Average and Rank in Class 

Grade Point Average is based on all high school credit-bearing courses whether passed or failed. 

Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA) 

The Grade Point Average (GPA) will be used to determine class rank, honor graduates and membership in the National Honor Society. A student’s overall GPA is computed by totaling all grade points earned and dividing by the total number of credits attempted. 

Note: Courses that earn multiple credits also earn multiple grade points. For example, the number of grade points that a student earns for a two-credit class is doubled. 

Students will receive one (1) additional grade point for the successful completion of any Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Enrollment (DE) course. 

To earn Magna Cum Laude distinction for graduation, a student must have an overall GPA of at least 4.0; to earn Cum Laude distinction, a student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.75.   Final grade point averages for graduating seniors will be calculated at the end of the school year when all grades are submitted and stored. Our goal is to recognize top academic students by using a fair system based upon achievement of a standard. Beginning with the 2018 – 2019 ninth grade class (Graduating class of 2022 and beyond) top academic students are to be recognized by each high school based on the following criteria established by SCPS.  

-Distinguished Graduates: Students earning Magna Cum Laude distinction by having an overall GPA of 4.0 or higher.

-Honor Graduates: Students earning Cum Laude distinction by having an overall GPA of at least 3.75. 

All cords or other regalia worn at graduation must be approved in advance by the school administration. Cords are awarded by each high school based on the criteria established by that specific school. Cords are purchased by the awarding department/group or by the student. 

Grade Replacement 

Students have the opportunity to improve a grade in a course by retaking the course and replacing the original grade with the new grade. The following stipulations apply: 

1. To have a grade replaced, a course must be retaken at or through a Shenandoah County high school and must have prior approval of the building Principal. A grade replacement form, signed by a parent or guardian, must be completed prior to retaking the course. Grade replacement forms are available in the school counseling office. 

2. A student may retake courses originally completed in a Shenandoah County secondary or middle school providing space is available in the class. 

3. The final grade earned in the “retake” will replace the original grade in all cases. Therefore, a student must complete a “retake” or be subject to losing credit for the course. 

4. No additional credit will be granted for the successful completion of a “retake” if credit was previously earned. 

5. Courses taken during Summer School are for credit recovery purposes ONLY and do not qualify as a “retake”. 

6. All “retake” courses must be taken in the same format as the original course. (Face to face, online, etc.) 

7. The course must be retaken at the same level to qualify as a retake. (ex. An 1130C English 9 Honors course must be retaken at Honors level to qualify as a retake.) 

8. Virginia High School League (VHSL) rules prohibit retaking a course for which a student has received prior credit from being counted towards VHSL eligibility requirements 

Grade Level Placement 

Student grade placement is determined by satisfaction of the following credits:

Ninth Grade - Complete 8th grade 0 credits

Tenth Grade 6  credits 

Eleventh Grade 11 credits 

Twelfth Grade 16 credits 

Grade Reporting 

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.