Grading Policy

The purpose of a grade:

The purpose of grades at Denver is to communicate levels of learning demonstrated based on course standards.

How grades are earned:

A standards-based approach to grading is used in my math courses.  This means the entirety of your grade is determined by how well you meet the learning goals for the course, which are based on the Iowa Core math standards. 

Homework:

Homework is your opportunity to practice new concepts and skills that we learn in class.  I check homework for completion and quality (directions were followed, work was shown, it’s legible and organized, etc).  I'm looking for an honest effort, not necessarily correctness.  The day an assignment is due we will review it together and you will have the opportunity to ask questions. 

“How can I raise my grade?”

There is no "extra credit".  The only way you can raise your grade is to demonstrate to me that you have learned what you were supposed to have learned.  As your teacher I am here to help guide you along the way, but as a middle schooler you must begin to take ownership and responsibility for your own learning (something that will be expected of you in high school!).  You need to pay attention in class,  participate, and ask questions.  You must take the homework seriously.  You must also take the initiative to seek further help from me if you feel you need it.  There are many resources available to help you be successful. Some of these include coming to see me for extra help during SLC, getting help from your classmates, and taking advantage of the IXL problems I post for extra practice.  You will have multiple opportunities to assess on a learning goal.  So if you struggle on an initial assessment, that is ok!  My goal as your teacher is to help you and give you the tools you need to succeed.  Math can be challenging (and that's perfectly normal!), but it's something that everyone can be successful at.

Test Retake Policy:

Students will automatically be assessed twice on each learning goal. This is to give students a chance to continue to improve their performance if they do not do well the first time and to also show their knowledge retention.  The final grade for each learning goal will be taken from the most recent assessment.

To be eligible for a third assessment a student must do the following: 

1. Communicate a desire to retest within about a week of the last test

2. Schedule a meeting with me so we can further review the material and to identify a plan of action to make improvements

3. Complete identified plan of action 

4. Retest must be taken within about two weeks of our meeting (I will be reasonably flexible with this).  No retests will be allowed within the last week of a quarter.

Grading Scale: