2420 Policy – Grading and Progress Reports

The Bellingham Promise asks us to collectively commit to empower every child to discover and develop their passions, contribute to their community and achieve a fulfilling and productive life. Progress reporting in Bellingham Public Schools is designed to encourage maximal development of each student's potential. Grading and progress reporting are communication tools encouraging teachers and families to value the worth, uniqueness and complexity of the individual student. The use of these tools provides for a flow of information not only from teacher to the parent/guardian and student but for dialogue among the parties. Progress reporting includes periodic single written codes, such as a letter grade, and provides for a variety of means of regular communication among parent/guardian, student and teacher.

The district will inform parents/guardians about their students’ academic progress, including the right to receive periodic reports on their students’ educational growth and development in accordance with RCW 28A.150.240 and to receive notice of their students’ performance on state learning standard tests and assessments in accordance with RCW 28A.230.195. The district will also inform the parents/guardians whether their students’ performance could threaten their ability to be promoted to the next grade level. Parents/guardians have the right to request an in-person meeting with their students’ classroom teachers and principals to discuss any resources or strategies available to support and encourage their students’ academic improvement.

Our grading policy communicates what we value as a school system and therefore must reflect our core values, have clear purposes, clarify the qualities of effective practice and promote classroom practices that best allow us to live up to The Promise we have made to the children and families of Bellingham.

Values

Bellingham Public Schools believe that:

A. The purpose of school is to facilitate the growth and development of every child.

B. Our students are unique individuals who come to school with diverse backgrounds and experiences and who learn in different ways and at different speeds.

C. Grades should reflect each student’s growing knowledge, abilities and talents.

D. Grades are a form of communication regarding student demonstration of learning.

E. Assignments and other student work serve as an avenue for identifying demonstration of learning.

F. Grades should provide opportunity and not unfairly limit a student’s future opportunities.

G. Recovering and learning from failure teaches more than being labeled a failure.

H. Our grading system must be inclusive, equitable and not preserve or reinforce existing inequities.

I. Our grading system must acknowledge that learning and growth is an ongoing and complex process as students transition through childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.

Purposes

Our grading policy reflects three purposes of grading:

A. To document student progress.

B. To provide feedback to the student, family, teacher and support staff.

C. To inform instructional decisions.

We reject the use of grades for other purposes, including punishing students or to sort students.

We support and encourage student involvement and reflection in the grading process.

Criteria for Success

Grading practices that meet our purposes and align with our values are accurate, bias-resistant and motivational.

A. Accurate. Grades must be based on methods that are sound, easy to understand and that correctly describe a student’s level of academic performance.

B. Bias-Resistant. Grades should be based on valid evidence of a student's content knowledge and skills and not based on evidence that is likely to be altered by implicit bias or is unrelated to academic performance.

C. Motivational. The way we grade should motivate students to achieve academic success, support a growth mindset and give students opportunities for improvement. The way we grade should be so transparent and understandable that every student can know their grade at any time and know how to achieve the grades they desire. Equitable grading distinguishes and connects the learning process and academic success, using multiple forms of feedback of which only one part is a letter grade.

Course Grades

Grades will be determined for each course. Grading should clearly reflect a student’s growth in learning as measured over time. Assessing learning means assessing student growth toward grade-level or course-level learning standards. Grades will be determined by teachers and will reflect the student’s learning. For high school, the district will comply with the grading/reporting system incorporated into the statewide standardized high school transcript. Parents/guardians will be provided with a report on student progress at the end of each reporting period.

Parent/Guardian Conferences

Conferences may be requested by parent/guardian, student, teacher or administrator and will be scheduled in a timely fashion.

Interim Progress Reports & Communication of Progress

An interim progress report will be provided to the parent/guardian and student for the specific purpose of describing interim progress for students between grading periods.

In addition, the district will provide electronic access to student performance and grades for secondary students to serve as a basis for monitoring student progress toward learning goals and to provide information to improve student learning. Electronic reporting on student progress will be updated on a timely and regular basis.

The superintendent will establish procedures to implement this policy.

Cross References:

Policy 3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences

Policy 3520 - Student Fees, Fines and Charges

Legal References:

RCW 28A.150.240(2)(g) Certificated teaching and administrative staff as accountable for classroom teaching-Scope-Responsibilities-Penalty

RCW 28A.230.195 Test or assessment scores-Adjustments to instructional practices-Notification to parents

RCW 28A.600.030 Grading policies-Option to consider attendance

RCW 28A.635.060 Defacing or injuring school property-Liability of pupil, parent, or guardian-Withholding diploma-Suspension and restitution-Community service program as alternative=Publication of information on withheld diplomas-Rights protected

Chapter 392-210 WAC Student testing and evaluation-Washington state honors award program

Chapter 392-415 WAC Secondary education-Standardized high school transcript

Management Resources: