Tippecanoe School Corporation has a set grading policy. I will follow that policy unless specified in the student’s IEP.
Grading Scale:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 59 and below
Reading/Math:
Grades will be based on in-class assignments. These grades will be complete/incomplete for Kindergarten and First Grade. Second through Fifth Grade students will receive scores out of 10 on assignments. Additionally, students will be graded on daily participation. To receive the participation points for the day, students must complete 2 out of 3 stations. The goal is always 3 out of 3 stations, but it is understood that each student has different needs and breaks may need to occur during instruction. Participation will be entered into the gradebook every 2 weeks. The expectation is that each student will participate by being prepared and on time, interacting with teachers and peers in instructional groups, and completing all assignments that are given to them. Refusals to complete work by the end of the week will result in a 0 in the gradebook. These are the expectations they will encounter in their general education classroom.
ELA (Writing):
Grades for ELA will be based on in-class assignments. Assignments for Kindergarten through Second Grade will be complete/incomplete scores with comments made in PowerSchool for performance. The comments will state if capital letters, proper punctuation, and spacing were used while writing. Third Grade through Fifth Grade scores will use a 4-point system. The points will be based on capital first letter, capital proper nouns, proper end punctuation, and proper letter formations (i.e., differentiation between capital and lowercase letters). Each assignment will have a rubric attached to it, and comments will be recorded in PowerSchool. Depending on the grade level, ELA grades will be recorded and calculated as appropriate.
Science/Social Studies:
Science/Social Studies grades will be based on participation for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. To earn the participation point for a day, students must be prepared and on time, interacting with teachers and peers in instructional groups, and completing all assignments that are given to them.
Social Skills:
Social Skills grades will be based on participation for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. The expectation during this behavior readiness time is that students are in their group, actively engaged, and participating in activities and discussions. For skills to be retained and applied, students must be active members during class time.
Missing Work and Additional Notes
Most work will be completed in class. Work that is not completed in class due to refusal/noncompliance will be saved until a break time and/or Fun Friday. To participate in Fun Friday, all work must be completed. If work is not completed by the end of Fun Friday, it will be recorded as missing and a 0 in PowerSchools. After that week, assignments can be requested by the parent and completed outside of school hours (i.e., at home). Any work that is turned in will be graded. To see missing work, log onto PowerSchools and look for an ‘M’. You can request that assignment by contacting Mrs. Moore.
Not all assignments will be recorded as a grade. If an assignment comes home with a number correct, then it has been recorded as a grade in the gradebook.
As students join their homeroom classes for academic subjects, they will begin to receive grades from the homeroom teacher for that subject.
Kindergarten Grading Policies
The kindergarten program includes assessment and evaluation in the following areas:
Language Arts - Reading Process, Reading Comprehension and Analysis
Writing Process and Applications
Mathematics
Art
Music
Physical Education
Personal Development and Practical Skills
Personal Growth and Study Habits
Report card assessments are conducted 4 times a year. The following is an explanation of marks:
A student receiving a 4 in any of the listed skills has mastered the skill with 90-100% accuracy.
A student receiving a 3 is approaching mastery of the skill with 80-89% accuracy.
A student receiving a 2 is developing mastery of the skill with 70-79% accuracy.
A student receiving a 1 in any of the listed skills needs more time to master the skill.
No mark beside any of the listed skills indicates continuing and/or future instruction.
All of the Kindergarten Progress Report items measure performance in the areas the child needs to master before entering first grade. From time to time, the question of what effect immaturity has on a child’s performance is raised. Certainly, a child is not penalized for his or her immaturity, but rather his or her immaturity may cause lower performance due to decreased attention span and the inability to stay on task. It is recognized that the child’s maturing may increase understanding, and thus, grades may improve.
Attendance in Kindergarten is essential to the child’s development. Most of what is taught in kindergarten cannot be made up at home. This should be kept in mind when planning to excuse a child from school for anything other than illness or a similar reason.