Policy 5121 - Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement – Grades K-12

Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement - Grades K-12

The Board of Education believes that grades serve a valuable instructional purpose by helping students and parents/guardians identify the student's areas of strength and those areas needing improvement. Parents/guardians and students have the right to receive course grades or performance levels that represent an accurate evaluation of the student's achievement.

Teachers shall evaluate a student's work in relation to the District’s adopted standards. Teachers shall inform students and parents/guardians how student achievement will be evaluated in the classroom.

Grades and performance levels should be based on impartial, consistent observation of the quality of the student's work and his/her mastery of course content and objectives. Students shall have the opportunity to demonstrate this mastery through a variety of channels such as classroom participation, homework, benchmark and formative assessments, tests and portfolios.

When reporting student performance levels to parents/guardians of students in grades K-6, teachers shall add narrative descriptions, observational notes and/or samples of classroom work in order to better describe student progress in specific skills and subcategories of achievement. Teachers in grades 7-12 shall communicate with parents through phone calls, written notification, or electronic grade book, and school district forms required in the grading process.

The Board recognizes that the developmental levels of young children vary a great deal. In order to give parents/guardians more information and also promote students' selfesteem and experiences of success, teachers with students in kindergarten through grade six shall use the following performance levels: (1) Standard not met; (2) Standard nearly met; (3) Standard met; and (4) Standard exceeded. In grades seven through twelve, teachers shall use letter grades A through F to indicate the student’s level of achievement and may also furnish examples of student work.

Behavior, effort and attendance shall be reported in separate evaluations, not in the student's academic grade.

Unexcused Absences

If a student misses class without an excuse and does not subsequently turn in homework, take a test or fulfill another class requirement which he/she missed, the teacher may lower the student's grade for nonperformance.

The Superintendent or designee shall determine the methodology to be used in calculating students’ grade point averages (GPA), including the courses to be included with the GPA and whether extra grade weighting shall be applied to Advanced Placement, Pre-Advanced Placement, honors, and/or concurrent postsecondary courses.

Rule 5121

Adopted: 06/02/1998

Last Revised: 08/05/2025

Last Reviewed: n/a

1. Preparation of assignments, including accuracy, legibility and promptness
2. Contribution to classroom discussions
3. Demonstrated understanding of concepts in tests/assessments
4. Application of skills and principles to new situations
5. Organization and presentation of written and oral reports
6. Originality and reasoning ability when working through problems

1. Student obeys rules
2. Student respects public and personal property
3. Student maintains courteous, cooperative relationships with teachers and fellow students

1. Student takes responsibility for having necessary tools and materials
2. Student shows interest and initiative
3. Student goes to work immediately and completes assignments
4. Student uses free time resourcefully

1. A decision by a court or placement agency to change the student’s placement, in which case the student’s grades and credits shall be calculated as of the date the student left school
2. A verified court appearance or related court-ordered activity