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Beginning in third grade, students at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø receive numeric grades. Grades provide important feedback about your student's academic progress each quarter during the school year.

Elementary Grading Guidelines were updated this summer, and you can review these updates below: 

Students will receive major and minor grades. Major grades measure a student's mastery of the concepts and skills that directly align with state standards. Major grades will account for 60% of a student's final quarter grade. Minor grades measure a student's progress to identify strengths and areas of need while working toward mastery of standards-based learning targets. Minor grades will account for 40% of a student's final quarter grade. 

It is important that there is a sufficient number of grades each quarter to allow a student to demonstrate mastery. Below, you will see the number of grades each teacher should assess for each student in each content area each quarter. 

Reading: Your child should receive five to nine grades for reading during each quarter.
Writing: Your child should receive four to six grades for writing during each quarter.
Math: Your child should receive six to nine grades for math each quarter.
Social Studies: Your child should receive four to eight grades for Social Studies each quarter.
Science: Your child should receive four to eight grades for Science each quarter.

Maintaining a minimal amount of grades every nine weeks is important for elementary students for several reasons:

• Feedback and Assessment: Regular assessment provides valuable feedback to students about their progress and areas needing improvement. It helps them understand their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to focus on areas that require attention.

• Motivation: Grades serve as a form of motivation for students. Seeing their progress reflected in their grades can encourage them to continue working hard and striving for improvement.

• Parental Involvement: Grades keep parents informed about their child's academic performance. Regular updates enable parents to support their child's learning at home and intervene if any issues arise.

• Accountability: Grades hold students accountable for their learning. Knowing that their performance will be assessed regularly encourages students to take their academic progress seriously and stay engaged in the learning process.

• Goal Setting: Grades provide students with specific goals to work towards. Setting goals based on their grades and other formative assessment data can help students stay focused to achieve academic success.

• Preparation for Future Education: Learning to manage grades and academic performance is an important skill for future academic endeavors. Developing good study habits and understanding the importance of grades in elementary school sets a foundation for success in higher education.

Overall, maintaining a minimal amount of grades each nine weeks ensures that students receive timely feedback, stay motivated, and develop important skills for academic success. 

Our school board maintains a policy for reporting grades.  <Policy IKAB Report Cards and Progress Reports>

Per board policy, “Teachers are required to update student grades weekly so that parents/legal guardians have consistent access to student progress.”

Reteaching/Reassessment:
This guideline applies to major assessments only.  The goal of a retest is for students to demonstrate mastery of grade level standards.  Students will be provided an opportunity for reassessment only after being retaught content.  Students scoring below 75 on any ELA or Math major assessment will have the opportunity to retake an equally rigorous assessment covering the same content standards for a maximum grade of 75.  Test corrections are appropriate for student learning; however, they can not be substituted for a retest opportunity. 

The Reteach/Retest cycle must be completed within the nine-week grading period in which the student scored below a 75 on a major grade.  If, by chance, the student scores lower on the retest than on the initial assessment, the teacher is expected to record the highest score. 

Parents, if your child receives a grade lower than 50 on any major or minor assignment within a nine-week grading period, the teacher will record the actual grade in Canvas/PowerSchool. Progress reports will reflect your student's actual grades earned. A zero will be recorded if your child does not complete and submit graded work. While this is not intended to be punitive, the zero will serve as a reminder to you that late and missing assignments must be submitted before the nine-week grading period concludes. 

In all situations that your child is absent from school, he/she will be provided with adequate time to complete graded assignments without penalty within each nine-week grading period. 

Connect with your student's teachers at any time to understand your student's progress. Be sure to sign up for weekly grading reports in your Parent Portal account. If you need assistance with this process, your school can help!