Tippecanoe School Corporation has a set grading policy, I will be following that grading 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 and Literature:
Grades will be based on in-class and out-of-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 I understand that each student has different needs, and breaks may need to occur during instruction. Participation will be entered into the gradebook every 2 weeks. My expectation for your child is that they will participate every day 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.
Math:
Grades for Math will use the same system as described above for reading. Depending on the grade level, Math grades will be recorded and calculated as appropriate.
ELA (Writing):
Grades for ELA will be based on in-class assignments and some homework assignments. Assignments for Kindergarten and First 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. Second 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., tall, drop, and short 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:
Science grades will be based on participation for Kindergarten through Second Grade. Third Grade through Fifth Grade will receive participation and score grades. Grades may come from quizzes or teacher lead assignments.
Social Skills:
All grade levels will receive participation grades for Social Skills. The expectation during this instructional time is that students are actively engaged and participating in activities. For skills to be retained and applied, students must be active members during class time.
Additional Notes:
Most work will be completed in class. Work that is not completed in class due to behaviors will be saved until a break time and/or Fun Friday. To participate in Fun Friday, all work must be completed. If work is completed during Fun Friday, the student may join once their work is turned in. If work is not completed, it will be sent home for weekend homework and is expected back on the following Monday.
Not all assignments will be recorded as a grade. If an assignment comes home with a letter grade, percentage, or number correct, then it has been recorded as a grade in the gradebook. If a paper comes home with a sticker, stamp, star, smiley face, or similar marking, then it was completed together or used to monitor accuracy. It will not be used for a grade.
As students join in their general education classes for academic subjects, I will consult with their general education teacher about transferring the student to their gradebook after the transition is believed to be successful. At this point, they will start to receive grades for the integrated subjects.
Students will also receive grades for their special classes (ex., Art, Music, P.E.). Those grades will be entered by the respective teacher!
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. 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 asked. 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.