Cahma Elementary Grading Guidelines 2015-2016 Grading System Student Academic Achievement Student academic achievement shall be based n the degree f mastery f the District s instructinal bjectives as utlined in the curriculum guides fr each subject. The bjectives reflect the Texas educatin Agency TEKS and address the skills and cncepts needed fr successful perfrmance in all grades. Assignments, tests, prjects, classrm activities, and ther instructinal activities shall be designed s that the student s perfrmance indicates the level f mastery f the designated TEKS. The student s mastery level shall be a majr factr in determining the grade f r a subject f curse. Cahma Elementary maintains a balanced curriculum. Curriculum fferings include Language Arts, (reading, literature, ral language, cmpsitin, handwriting, and spelling), Science, Mathematics, Scial Studies, Music, and Physical Educatin/Wellness. Curriculum cntent is nt prescribed in detail by the Texas Educatin Agency, but lcal instructinal plans draw upn State curriculum framewrks and prgram standards. Achievement grades shuld be fairly determined frm a wide variety f infrmatin, which culd include student perfrmance n daily assignments, tests, and/r special prjects. The infrmatin used in grading shuld be apprpriate t the grade level and subject being cnsidered. Prir t instructin, students shuld be infrmed f the class r curse expectatins, and the teacher must be prepared t dcument and explain hw grades are determined. Grading Guidelines Assessment and Evaluatin Teachers are encuraged t have a sufficient number f grades t allw multiple pprtunities fr students t demnstrate mastery f the TEKS with a minimum f 10 grades per six-week grading perid. Student mastery f subject matter may be assessed in a variety f ways. It is nt necessary, therefre, fr all grades t have as their surce written paper wrk. Nr is it always necessary t receive a grade fr every paper prduced. Althugh the teacher will mnitr and prvide feedback t students fr any activity, which they assign, the feedback des nt always need t be in the frm f a grade. Assessment shuld always fllw a perid f guided practice and /r independent practice. Examinatin / Majr grades serve t evaluate mastery f TEKS, cncepts, understanding and district bjectives. They prvide pprtunities t demnstrate certain knwledge and skills. Types f examinatin may include but are nt limited t the fllwing: Six Week Assessments End f unit tests End f chapter tests Prjects Selectin tests Teacher tests
Perfrmance assessments/daily grades are measures f a student s prgress tward mastery f TEKS and district curriculum bjectives. Types f perfrmance assessments may include, but are nt limited t, the fllwing: Classrm participatin Classrm discussins Oral respnses Written respnses Experiments Teacher bservatin Research prjects Checklist f skills Prtflis Enrichment Grup wrk/prjects On line technlgy assignments Class activities Cperative learning activities Signal respnse If a student receives a grade lwer than 70 in any class r subject at the end f a grading perid, the parent will be requested t schedule a cnference with the teacher f that class r subject. Hmewrk Hmewrk is wrk that is assigned t be cmpleted in additin t daily classrm assignments. Hmewrk is an effective tl in develping respnsibility, study habits, and skills. It is an extensin f the leaning prcess and invlves the hme in the child s curriculum. It shuld be purpseful, related t classrm experiences, and be age and grade apprpriate. The purpse and directins fr the assignments need t be clearly cmmunicated and shuld be preceded by instructin that adequately prepares the child t d the task independently and successfully. Teacher Respnsibilities 1. Hmewrk is nt t be assigned n weekends r befre hlidays with the exceptin f previusly schedules special reprts and/r prjects. 2. Hmewrk shuld be a review r reinfrcement f skills already cvered in the classrm. It shuld nt be new infrmatin fr the student. 3. Each student is expected t read 20 minutes each schl night. 4. Hmewrk is nt cunted as a class grade. 5. Students are expected t cmplete all hmewrk assignments. T prvide meaningful tasks that enrich and supplemental wrk intrduced in class. T cmmunicate hmewrk assignments, bth regular and lng-range in an apprpriate framewrk T prvide effective instructin prir t assigning hmewrk that adequately prepares the child t d the task independently and successfully. T cnsider available resurces, materials and hme situatins when assigning a task. T review and return hmewrk t students within a timeframe which enhances instructin and prvides a benefit t the student.
Parent Respnsibilities T establish a specific time, place and manner fr hmewrk t be cmpleted. T prvide the supplies and materials necessary t cmplete hmewrk T mnitr as needed, but nt d hmewrk fr the student T initiate cmmunicatin with the teacher when cncerns arise T prmte 20 minutes f reading per night Student Respnsibilities T cmplete assigned wrk n time and return it t the teacher T cmmunicate with the teacher when he/she des nt understand the assignments r is experiencing difficulty prir t due date T read 20 minutes per night. Grading The actual grade will be recrded in the grade bk and averaged with the rest f the grades. All grades fr the previus week shuld be entered in the grade bk weekly. Grade bks are subject t audit. Parents may see their child s grades in a printed prgress reprt. Yu shuld nt pen yur full gradebk t any parent. Lessn plans serve as dcumentatin f teaching the TEKS. Student s wrk may be evaluated fr mre than ne subject area as apprpriate. Late Wrk Penalties There will be a designated time each week fr cmpletin f any incmplete late wrk. ~ Fix It Friday Reteach Retest Reassess Mastery f Texas Essential Knwledge and Skills Cahma Elementary Schl has prvided a well-balanced curriculum based n state prescribed Texas essential Knwledge and skills (TEKS). Students wh participate in this curriculum will have the pprtunity t master the knwledge, skills, and cmpetencies established by the district curriculum and the state standards. CES will utilize nging mastery assessments t determine which students are in need f remediatin (reteaching and acceleratin). The use f district assessments, teacher made tests, perfrmance, assessments and teacher bservatins will help determine which students are nt mastering instructina bjectives. Attendance Teachers will prvide re-teaching fr all students wh d nt meet minimum standards. Students will be reevaluated after reteaching has ccurred. Reevaluatin may include, but is nt limited t ral examinatin, special assignments r frmal test. A grade f 70 shall be the highest grade recrded n reevaluatin t designate the student mastery f the TEKS. Students shall be permitted t make up assignments and tests fllwing any absence. Make Up Wrk
All students will receive credit fr satisfactry makeup wrk after an excused absence. A student will be given 2 days per each day f absence t make up tests and ther missed assignments. Students shuld nt be required n the day f returning t schl t take a quiz r test that was annunced during the student s absence. Cmmunicatin With Parents Parent Teacher Cnferences Parents shall be prvided any relevant infrmatin cncerning their child that will enhance their understanding f the child s effrt, success, r prgress in the schl prgram. Cmmunicating with parents is ne f the mst imprtant respnsibilities f teachers. Cnferences prvide an arena fr cllecting develpmental and persnal infrmatin frm parents that may affect a child s learning. Develping rapprt and encuraging parent invlvement in the child s educatinal prcess; and reprting and discussing student prgress with parents is an integral part f helping students be successful. Parents have a right and a need t knw whatever the schl knws abut the achievement and prgress f their children in schl. The schl has an bligatin t cmmunicate such infrmatin in an understandable and usable frm. A cmbinatin f reprt cards, prgress reprts and parent cnferences is used t infrm parents f their child s prgress in schl. All students will receive a prgress reprt at the end f 3 weeks and each 6-week grading perid. Prgress reprts are used t infrm students/parents abut bth satisfactry and unsatisfactry prgress in a subject. The prgress reprt is t be signed by the parent and the student and returned t the teacher. It is imperative that parents be cntacted at any time the student is in danger f failing r if there is a significant drp in grades. Questins abut grade calculatin shuld first be discussed with the teacher; if the questin is nt reslved, the parent may request a cnference with the principal. Prmtin and Retentin f Students In determining prmtin, the District shall cnsider: The recmmendatin f the student s teacher The student s grade in each subject r curse The student Scre n an assessment instrument administered under Educatin Cde 39.023 (a), (b), r (l) Any ther necessary infrmatin, as determined by the District. Grading Recrds The grading recrd shuld be a teacher s recrd and/r file f evidence t supprt grades reprted n the reprt card. Grades shuld be lgical, justifiable, and sufficient in number t assure that the reprt card grade is an accurate measure f student s prgress and achievement.
Grades shuld reflect a balance f bjectives cvered. The teacher s grade recrd is a part f the fficial dcumentatin prtraying mastery f TEKS and District bjectives. If pssible, a descriptin f the learning task shuld be included in this dcumentatin. These recrds shuld be accurately maintained and teachers shuld be aware that many times grades will need t be justified. All grades shuld be recrded in the District grade bk prgram. Students new t the District r wh enrll in a schl after the start f a grading perid shall be treated fairly in awarding grades. Grades shall be cmputed using a cmbinatin f grades frm the frmer schl and grades earned fr the time the student has been enrlled in the new schl.