2420P: Grading and Progress Reporting

Secondary Schools

1. Progress reports will be provided to parents at the end of each quarterly reporting period during the school year. These reports will report the grade for each subject in which the student was enrolled for that period.
2. Article 6 - Section 10 of the BEA-BSD Collective Agreement requires that at the beginning of each school year, principals will discuss assessment and grade reporting practices at a staff meeting. Topics will include, but not be limited to, Board and school policies and procedures, student assessment and evaluation research and best practice and other relevant topics.
3. A grade that reflects the achievement of learning standards will be given in each subject for each of the four reporting periods. The semester grade will be the only grade of permanent record that will appear on the student's transcript. It will reflect the student's attainment in the subject from the beginning to the final day of the semester and will be a cumulative grade as opposed to an average of the quarter grade reports. In year-long courses, first semester grades may be changed to reflect learning that occurs in the second semester. Grades that may be used, with their meaning, grade point and credit value, will be as follows:

"CR" when competency has been established. (World Language courses only. Refer to Procedure 2409P).

"P" grades may be used in extenuating circumstances where a letter grade is not appropriate, after consultation with a building administrator. A “P” is also used for BSD approved credit recovery.

"W" grades are posted to a student's transcript if a course is dropped after the first ten school days of the semester. See Section L below.

“I” is a designation intended to be a temporary and changed to a passing grade once a teacher has sufficient assessment data. Assigning an “I” requires informing the principal and a teacher-developed plan for the student to demonstrate proficiency. In extenuating circumstances an “I” can remain on the student transcript.

"NC" grades may be used in extenuating circumstances where a failing grade is not appropriate and neither is assigning credit. Consultation with a building administrator should occur before a “NC” determination is made,

4. Grades earned for high school courses taken in middle school will reflect the student's attainment in the course from the first day to the final day of the semester and will be a cumulative grade as opposed to an average of quarter grade reports. From the 19-20 school year forward, students will automatically be awarded credit for these courses in which they have received a passing grade. Options to remove this course from their transcript or change the grade to "CR" can be requested before the start of the students 12th grade year. See form 24lOP Exhibit J.
5. Students who did not attend a BSD middle school, who wish to request high school credit for a course taken prior to enrollment in BSD must submit a grade report from their former school with a copy of the course description.
6. A student who enrolls mid-semester in the Bellevue School District from another district will be placed in equivalent classes in BSD. If an extra class(es) is needed to be scheduled to fill a student's schedule, they will be granted .25 credits for the remainder of the semester.
7. If a student drops a course after the first or third quarter and does not add a course in the same academic discipline, the semester grade will be posted to the transcript for .25 credit. Students who change levels in an academic area or change from one elective to another elective in the same content area will receive .5 credit and grade in the new course at the end of the semester.
8. An interim progress report is required during the interval between quarters if the student's achievement in a subject is known to be below expectations (D or F). During the second quarter of a semester, an interim progress report will be issued as early in the quarter as practicable to allow the student time to improve before the end of the semester. The interim report will consist of notification to the parents(s) and/or guardians(s) for the specific purpose of describing unsatisfactory interim progress. A failing grade (F) grade may not be assigned as the semester grade if an interim progress report was not issued.
9. Secondary school teachers shall update student assignment grades regularly (at a minimum of every ten (10) school days) on the District’s online reporting system for viewing by students and their families. All assignments and tests shall be graded as soon as reasonably possible, but in no event more than fifteen (15) school days after the assignment or test is turned in. All assignments received within twenty (20) school days of the end of the first semester must be posted within twelve (12) school days.
10. Best Practices in Assessment, Grading and Reporting are included in Procedure 2420P Exhibit A. The exhibit provides definitions of and purposes for assessment, grading and reporting as well as a list of best practices in assessment, grading and reporting. The list of best practices is not prescriptive and is intended as guidance.
11. No single project, test, research paper or other assignment can have such a bearing on the student's grade as to cause the student to receive a failing grade at the quarter or semester reporting date.
12. Students withdrawing at any time prior to the last ten school days of the semester will receive a W for each course. Students withdrawing from school in the last 10 days of the semester will receive a semester credit and grade.
13. Highly mobile students who have been unable to complete an academic course and receive full credit due to withdrawal or transfer, must be granted partial credit for coursework completed before the date of withdrawal or transfer. The receiving school must accept those credits, apply them to the student's academic progress or graduation or both, and allow the student to earn credits regardless of the student's date of enrollment at the receiving school. Refer to OSPI guidance: On-Time Grade Level Progression and Graduation for Highly Mobile Students.
14. A notation of (M) on the third digit of the Course ID is used to indicate a modified course when a student's IEP team determines a Modified Designation is appropriate to access the general education curriculum. The IEP team decision must be based on a demonstrated need, present levels of performance and be appropriately documented in the IEP. Parents must agree to the decision and be informed of the implications of a Modified Designation.
15. Before the end of the first semester, teachers will schedule conferences with parents/guardians of the students they feel would benefit from more information not contained on the progress report. Students may be involved in these conferences when the parent and teacher agree that such participation is appropriate.

Elementary Schools

1. Progress reports will be provided to parents/guardians at the end of each semester reporting period during the school year. These reports will provide a score for each subject in which the student received instruction for that semester.
2. A score that reflects the achievement of learning standards will be given in each subject for each of the two reporting periods. The semester score will reflect the student's attainment in the subject from the beginning day to the final day of the semester and will be a cumulative score as opposed to an average of the reports. Scores that may be used, with their meaning, will be as follows:

Each teacher will provide narrative comments to describe the student's academic progress.

3. Parent-teacher conferences will be held in the fall (prior to winter break) for each student. Targeted conferences will be held in the spring with parents/guardians of students not meeting grade level standards, as well as those the teacher believes would benefit from more information not contained on the progress report. Students may be involved in conferences when the parent and teacher agree that such participation is appropriate considering the age of the student and the content of the conference.
4. Article 6 - Section 10 of the BEA-BSD Collective Agreement requires that at the beginning of each school year, principals will discuss assessment and grade reporting practices at a staff meeting. Topics will include, but not be limited to, Board and school policies and procedures, student assessment and evaluation research and best practice and other relevant topics.
5. Best Practices in Assessment, Grading and Reporting are included in Procedure 2420P Exhibit A. The exhibit provides definitions of and purposes for assessment, grading and reporting as well as a list of best practices in assessment, grading and reporting. The list of best practices is not prescriptive and is intended as guidance.
6. No single project, test, research paper or other assignment can have such a bearing on the student's score as to cause the student to receive an Approaches Standard or Below Standard score at the semester reporting date.