Last week, Washington State OSPI released new school guidance and rules for grading after the COVID-19 crisis forced the closure of schools statewide.
Taking key points from OSPI, the Snoqualmie Valley School District announced it would adopt the following grading practices for the current school term through the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.
K-5 Grading
- Every student will have the opportunity to improve grades during the closure, using 2nd trimester grades as a baseline for improvement.
- Teachers will assign the following grades for the 3rd Trimester: On Track (OT), Progressing Towards (PT), Academic Risk (AR), or No Basis for Evaluation (X).
- On Track (OT), Progressing Towards (PT), or Academic Risk (AR) will be assigned using 2nd trimester grades as a baseline. Students whose quantity or quality of work declines during the closure, leading to a final grade that is lower, will be assigned their 2nd trimester grade.
- No Basis for Evaluation (X) will be assigned for content not addressed during the 3rd trimester, for students who cannot participate in an equitable way, and for students who choose to engage in learning opportunities outside SVSD-provided engagement plans.
- In addition to 3rd trimester report card grades, teachers will provide consistent feedback to students during the closure with the goal of helping to improve proficiency.
6-12 Grading
- Every student will have the opportunity to improve grades during the closure, using their grades at the time of closure as a baseline for improvement.
- Grades of “F,” “Pass,” and “No Credit” cannot be assigned. (There is one exception, however; if a student has Pass/Fail grading in an IEP, the student will remain eligible to earn a Pass.)
- Teachers will assign final letter grades (A – D). When insufficient evidence is available to determine a final grade (such as a lack of student participation during the closure), teachers will assign an “Incomplete” (I).
- Students assigned an (I) or in jeopardy of receiving an (I) for a course will be given opportunities and support to complete enough work to receive a letter grade (A – D), equivalent to their grades at the time of closure.
- Students, whose work declines leading to a final grade that is lower than their grades at the time of closure, will be given opportunities and support to earn a final grade equivalent to their grades from the March closure date.
- We will be sending building-level communication to each student’s family in the near future about the student’s academic status at the time of the closure, and progress since the closure.
Seniors
SVSD applied for the authority to waive core graduation requirements for individual seniors who were on track to graduate at the time of the closure, and may need special consideration due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control this spring.
Administrators and counseling staff will monitor our seniors closely and remain connected with students and families as they progress toward June. The district said it would make a good faith effort to support seniors with earning all required credits this spring – to ensure all students who were on-track to graduate are able to do so.
