Grading Policy Delta High School is different. Nowhere is the difference more apparent than in our grading policy. Without going into historical perspectives on student grading, marks, averages, zeroes, and the endless ramifications of assessing student work, we invite all of our students, families, and visitors to suspend or abandon what they know and believe about grading and the examination of student work. The guidelines for Delta’s policy are the following: The primary purpose of grading is to communicate student learning and the level of learning to students, parents, school administrators, post-secondary institutions, and employers. All grades at Delta are based on Washington State or national standards. Meeting standard or being proficient does not mean A, Excellent, or 100%. Delta teachers are really providers of learning opportunities and evaluators of learning. Delta students are focused on learning, not on grades. Grades are based on acceptable evidence of learning. Teachers get to decide, in collaboration with each other and industry partners, what is acceptable evidence of learning. Not all work will be graded, but all work will be geared toward a learning objective that is made clear to students, families, and our community. There are only two types of assessments or assignments at Delta. There are formative assessments that lead to or ‘form’ learning and there are summative assessments that summarize learning. Only summative assessments will be graded. The marks, comments, feedback, and/or points on formative assessments and assignments will not count toward the summative grade. Students will be given numerous opportunities to show evidence of learning. Delta High School students will earn summative ‘grades’ on a 4-point scale. Each of the ‘assignments’ will be based on standards. A single piece of
student work can target a large number of standards or it may take numerous pieces of work to target and meet a single standard. The following are the meanings of each of the ‘grades’ that will be listed in PowerSchool, our electronic grading system: Grade 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 NG
Meaning Advanced Proficient Meets Standard Emerging Beginning No Evidence of Learning
4.00-Advanced Students achieving at the advanced level demonstrate greater academic performance. Advanced work indicates an in-depth understanding or exemplary display of the skills included in the Washington State standards These students: Demonstrate broad, in-depth understanding of complex concepts and skills Make abstract, insightful, complex connections among ideas beyond the obvious Provides extensive evidence for inferences and justification of solutions Demonstrates the ability to apply knowledge and skills effectively and independently by applying efficient, sophisticated strategies to solve complex problems Communicates effectively and thoroughly, with sophistication 3.00-Proficient Students achieving at the proficient level demonstrate very satisfactory academic performance. Proficient work indicates solid understanding or display of the skills included in the Washington State standards. This is accepted grade-level performance. In order for students to show sufficient evidence of learning, they must earn a three. Any grade under 3 will be considered unacceptable. These students: Can extend their understandings by making meaningful, multiple connections among important ideas or concepts and provide supporting evidence for inferences and justification of solutions
Apply concepts and skills to solve problems using appropriate strategies Communicate effectively
2.00-Emerging Students achieving at the emerging level demonstrate up and coming academic performance. Emerging students indicate a partial understanding or display of the skills included in the Washington State standards. Students achieving at this level are approaching acceptable performance but need additional instructional opportunities to achieve proficiency. These students: Demonstrate partial understanding of basic concepts and skills Make basic connections among ideas, providing limited supporting evidence for inferences and solutions Apply concepts and skills to routine problem-solving situations Communicate in a limited fashion 1.00-Beginning Students that are achieving at the beginning level demonstrate a clear need for additional instructional opportunities to show learning. Students achieving at the beginning level indicate little or no understanding or display of the skills included in the Washington State standards. These students: Demonstrate little, if any, understanding of the concepts and skills associated with the Washington State standards Occasionally make obvious connections among ideas, providing minimal evidence or support for inferences and solutions Have difficulty applying basic knowledge and skills Communicates in an ineffective manner NG-No Evidence of Learning Students that are showing no evidence of learning demonstrate a clear need for additional instructional opportunities and learning interventions after being offered numerous opportunities to learn. PowerSchool will average the summative grades only. Please be aware that averaging is a limited view of what students are able or not able to do. A student may, for example, have 4s on six standards and have 1s on two standards. The student’s “average” tells us that the student has a 3.25-not bad, right? This 3.25, however, does not paint a clear picture that the student is really struggling on two standards and really excelling on six of them. Averages do not tell us the whole story, but they are unavoidable at
this time. A student’s GPA will be determined averaging the averages of each class. The above grades need to be translated periodically into the grading systems of each district. The following guide will be used to help translate the grades: Traditional Letter Grades
Traditional Points
A AB+
93-100 90-92 87-89
B
84-86
BC+ C CD+
Traditional Grading System
4.00 3.70 3.30
Advanced
Above Average
3.00
Proficient
80-83 77-79 74-76 70-73 67-69
Average
2.70 2.40 2.00 1.70 1.30
Emerging
D
64-66
Below Average
1.00
Beginning
D-
60-63 <60
F
Outstanding
4.0 Scale
Delta Grading System
0.00 0.00
No Evidence of Learning
At Delta, students must show sufficient evidence of learning to earn a 3. That evidence may take the form of a writing sample, a presentation, a test, a project, a paper, a quiz, a lab report, a demonstration, an art project, a performance, an experience, or a combination of some of these forms. Once a student is proficient in the standard, they have shown adequate evidence of learning and have mastered the concept. If students would like to go beyond mastery to an advanced level of mastery, they will have the opportunity to do so.