PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent/teacher conferences are invaluable in bringing about a closer working relationship between home and school. Conferences give parents, students, and teachers the opportunity to plan and work together for the success of the student. There are two regularly scheduled conferences in the school year—one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. Spring conferences are by teacher request only; these conferences will be reserved for parents of students who need academic, social, or behavioral support. These conferences are intended only for a short, overall review; serious concerns or matters that may require more time should be scheduled with the teacher for another time. 

Teachers are available to parents on an individual request basis as well. Parents are encouraged to e-mail teachers at their school e-mail address or call a teacher’s voice mail whenever they wish to discuss their child or schedule a conference. Conferences outside of parent-teacher conference times are welcome. but must be scheduled in advance; the school requests that parents refrain from seeking conferences with any teacher without first scheduling in advance. 

GRADUATION

All requirements set forth in the accreditation Handbook for the Texas Catholic Accreditation Commission must be fulfilled by each student before the formal status of graduation is conferred. The requirements are consistent with the State of Texas standards. Upon fulfillment of those requirements, the school and parish communities give thanks for the success of these students. A Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony is celebrated for the students, their families, and friends each May. 

PROGRESS REPORTS

Student progress is monitored continually by the teachers. Four weeks into each quarter, a progress report is sent home via e-mail. First graders do not receive progress reports until the second quarter of school. PreK and Kindergartners do not receive progress reports at all. See the eligibility calendar under "Eligibility Rules and Calendar" for progress report dates. 

REPORT CARDS

Report cards inform parents of a student’s progress in academics and the development of Christian values and character. A report card is issued at the end of each of the four quarters. Kindergarteners do not receive a report card until the second quarter of the school year. PreK receives a first and then second-semester report card. A copy of the student’s report card remains in the student’s permanent file until graduation or transfer. 

Parents are asked to review the report card with their children. Discussion of strengths, weaknesses. and goal setting motivates the student. Talking with a child about the report card also demonstrates parental interest and support. See the eligibility calendar under "Eligibility Rules and Calendar" for progress report dates. Report cards are emailed and the link is valid for two weeks. 

GRADING

The school uses the Dallas Diocesan grading system. The coding is as follows: 

• PK4:  Receive periodic assessments throughout the year. 

• Kindergarten:  Achievement Codes

  • • M = Has Met Objective 

    • P = Acceptable Progress 

    • I = Improvement Needed 

• Grades 1-8:  Numerical Academic Codes

  • • A = 100-94 

    • B = 93-85 

    • C= 84-76 

    • D = 75-70 

    • F = 69 and below 

• Conduct Codes 

  • • E= Excellent 

    • G= Good 

    • S = Satisfactory 

    • N = Needs Improvement 

    • U = Unsatisfactory 

GRADING SYSTEM/POLICY

• Grades 1-4: 

  • Minor Grades - 60%

  • Major Grades - 40%

• Grades 5-6:

  • Minor Grades - 60%

  • Major Grades - 40%

• Grades 7-8

  • Minor Grades - 40%

  • Major Grades - 60%

Minor Grades include participation, homework, classwork, quizzes, and labs.

Major grades include projects, research papers, unit tests, reports, and writing projects.

TESTING

At St. Rita School, we use a variety of assessments throughout the academic year to ensure we're meeting the individual learning needs of every student, monitoring their progress and identifying specific learning goals.

All students in grades K-8 take the NWEA MAP Growth Assessments and complete writing benchmarks three times a year. Additionally, NWEA MAP Fluency Assessments are administered three times annually to students in grades K-3.

In the fall, students in grades K-8 also take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). 

For eighth graders, there's an opportunity to take the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE), a high school entrance test.

WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSCRIPTS

Parents are required to notify the Administration in writing prior to withdrawing a student from the school. If written notice has been given and all responsibilities of the student and the student’s parents to the school have been fulfilled, transcripts and other necessary information will be sent to the new school. If notice or financial obligations have not been fulfilled, the school will withhold recommendations. 

The school may require that a student withdraw if the school administration, in its sole discretion, feels that it is in the best interest of the student or the school. In addition, a student may be required to withdraw from school or may be refused re-admission to the school for subsequent semesters if the family’s financial obligations are not current. These responsibilities include, without limitation, the return of school and library books, Chromebook (grades 4 - 8), and athletic uniforms and the payment in full of tuition and fee obligations, library fines, fines for lost or defaced school books, lunch fees, and fees for field trips and extracurricular activities. 

PARENTAL ACCESS TO STUDENT RECORDS (CSO 5115.3)

Parents will be allowed to inspect and review their student’s education records, at a date and time convenient to the school, unless a court has ordered otherwise. Records will always be reviewed in the presence of school personnel appointed by the chief administrator. The school may provide copies of the records and, if it does so, may charge a fee. 

In the event a court order is in place which limits a parent’s access to a student’s educational records, or which otherwise limits the contact a parent may have with the school regarding the student, the family must provide a complete, final, signed copy of the order to the school when the student is enrolled. If such a court order is issued after a student has enrolled, the family must provide a complete, final, signed copy of the order to the school as soon as it is signed by the judge. 

The school will, when and to the extent reasonably possible, honor restrictions on access to educational records imposed by such an order. However, school personnel are not family lawyers and it is not the school’s responsibility to enforce court orders.

Schools will generally not release a student’s records to third parties without the written consent of a student’s parent or legally responsible adult. As an exception to this rule, a school may disclose student records to or for: 

a) School officials with legitimate educational interest; 

b) Other schools to which a student is transferring; 

c) Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes; 

d) Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student; 

e) Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school; 

f) Accrediting organizations; 

g) To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena; 

h) Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and 

i) State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law. 

If a specific reason exists to further limit access to a student’s educational records, the student’s parent or legally responsible adult must provide a specific, written request that explains the basis for the additional restriction to the school’s chief administrator. The chief administrator, in his or her sole discretion, will determine whether implementing special procedures for a student’s records is appropriate and reasonably feasible on a case-by-case basis.