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Policy 8010 Implementation Procedures - Grading and Reporting: Pre-Kindergarten Through Grade 5

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Dissemination

The principal is directed to inform all students, parents and Howard County School System (HCPSS) employees of the provisions of this policy annually and at other times as appropriate. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Making announcements via the public address system at the beginning of the school year.

  2. Publishing the information in school newsletters and websites.

  3. Publishing the information in staff/student handbooks, etc.

  4. Posting the information on a bulletin board.

  5. Making the information available to new students and their parents through the registration process.

II. Grading

  1. Grades indicate students’ progress toward meeting grade level standards.

  2. Grades in Prekindergarten-5 are derived from a compilation of what students know and/or can do from the marking period.

    1. Evidence of what students know and/or can do includes the following:

      1. Classwork

      2. Formal and informal assessments

      3. Projects

      4. Observations of students

    2. Student performance for grades Prekindergarten-2 within curriculum standards is indicated by a teacher assessment of the evidence noting the following:

      1. The “L” notation means that the student is making limited or no progress toward meeting expectations for the curriculum standard in the identified quarter. The “L” notation is accompanied with comments about the specific challenges or progress that has not been made.

      2. The “P” notation means that the student is making progress towards meeting the expectations for the curriculum standard in the identified quarter.

      3. The “M” notation means that the student meets expectations for the curriculum standard in the identified quarter.

    3. Student performance for grades 3-5 within curriculum standards is indicated by a teacher assessment of the evidence noting the following:

      1. A (90% or higher) – Consistently meets expectations of the curriculum standards.

      2. B (89% - 80%) – Frequently meets expectations of the curriculum standards.

      3. C (79% - 70%) – Making sufficient progress toward expectations of the curriculum standards.

      4. D (69% - 40%) – Making insufficient progress toward expectations of the curriculum standards.

      5. E (39% or below) – Limited/No progress towards expectations of the curriculum standards.

  3. Learning Behaviors

    In Prekindergarten-5, teachers will report on the learning behaviors of students, which include social and emotional learning standards and personal work habits, and are reported with the following:

    1. 1 – Meeting expectations consistently and independently.

    2. 2 – Progressing toward meeting expectations.

    3. 3 – Demonstrating limited or no progress towards meeting expectations.

  4. Comments

    Prekindergarten-5 teachers will comment about performance on curriculum standards, social and emotional learning, and personal work habits.

  5. I (Incomplete) Codes

    1. I codes will only be issued, upon approval of the principal/designee, when a student has not been able to complete required course work due to legal absences.

    2. I codes will be converted to the appropriate letter grade no later than the end of the succeeding marking period, except in unusual circumstances as approved by the principal/designee.

  6. N/A (Not Available) Codes

    N/A codes will be used when out of county transfer students are missing grades from one marking period. If an N/A code is needed for another reason, school-based administrators should request permission from the Office of School Counseling. If an N/A code is used, elementary school teachers will include a comment describing the reason the code was used.

  7. Report Card Grade and/or Code Change Procedures

    1. Grade and/or code changes must be documented on the grade change form. Parents must be notified of the grade change by the teacher or the principal.

      1. The grade change form needs a signature from the teacher, the teacher’s secretary, and the principal. It needs to include a reason for the grade change and date of the approval.

      2. Copies of the grade change form go into the student’s cumulative record, to the teacher, to the teacher’s secretary, and to the Office of School Counseling.

      3. A grade change may be authorized by the Executive Director of Program Innovation and Student Well-Being, Chief Academic Officer, Chief School Management and Instructional Leadership Officer, or Community Superintendent. If a grade change is generated from outside the school, a grade change form is still completed with a reason for the change. This form goes into the student’s cumulative record and to the principal and teacher’s secretary.

    2. Parents will be notified of the grade change by the teacher, principal, or Central Office employee changing the grade.

    3. The Office of School Counseling will audit the grade changes annually.

    4. Appeals of grade changes can be made to the Community Superintendent.

  8. Instructional Levels

    1. For grades 1-5, language arts instructional levels will be reported through Measures of Academic Progress-Reading (MAP-R) home reports available three (3) times per year for grades 1-2 students and twice a year for students in grades 3-5.

    2. For grades 1-5, mathematics reporting will reflect mathematics course placement.

III. Reporting

  1. Teachers will provide updates on student progress by at least mid-quarter, and throughout the remainder of the marking period. Parents may access a student’s progress through the learning management system. Additionally, teachers may communicate progress with parents in person, by phone, or in writing, either electronically or in print, or through an in-person or virtual conference. Teachers will notify the parent, when appropriate, of unsatisfactory progress throughout the marking period.

  2. Report Cards, Prekindergarten-5

    1. Report cards are posted at the conclusion of each marking period.

    2. Final report cards will be posted at the end of the school year.

IV. Academic Intervention

At the end of each quarter, if a Kindergarten-5 student performs below grade/curriculum expectations, the teacher/grade level team will, with the knowledge and appropriate participation of parents, provide additional assistance and opportunities for the student to improve his/her performance.

  1. Interventions may include the following:

    1. Differentiated instruction delivered within the regular classroom/school day.

    2. A change in class/subject placement.

    3. The involvement of a multidisciplinary student support team (including Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team for special education students).

    4. The involvement of support staff.

    5. Participation in supplemental academic activities (e.g., before/after school tutorials, tutoring, instructional seminars, mentoring).

    6. Enrollment in summer school.

  2. In addition, for students who are receiving an intervention in reading and/or mathematics, the teacher and/or grade level team will develop a plan to improve and monitor achievement.

  3. Grade level teams will review and modify student plans with the appropriate grade level teams for the following year.

V. Promotion, Retention, and Accelerated Grade Placement

  1. Consideration for Promotion

    1. The principal will promote a student who achieves curriculum expectations.

    2. A student receiving special education will be assessed based on the provisions of the student’s IEP.

    3. Parents may appeal a decision to promote to the appropriate Superintendent/designee.

  2. Consideration for Retention

    1. With input from the appropriate school/grade team and parent input, the principal can retain a student who fails to meet curriculum standards. The principal may also retain a student who is recommended by a school/grade team or parent for other reasons. The principal will consider whether the needs of the student are best met through retention and offer the parent an opportunity to be included in the decision-making process.

    2. The principal will make a decision to retain based on a number of factors, which may include, but are not limited to the following:

      • Academic achievement level

      • Demonstrated progress in response to academic interventions

      • Age of the student

      • Previous retention(s)

      • Attendance record

      • Parental concerns

      • Social and emotional developmental learning

      • Health factors

      • Report Card

      • IEP

      • Section 504 Plan

    3. The IEP Team must convene a meeting to discuss the retention request. The purpose is to document considerations for the determination only. The IEP Team does not determine or approve retention. Information from the IEP Team meeting should be used to address the request for a diploma-bound special education student with an IEP.

    4. Students considered for retention may be recommended to attend summer school.

    5. Parents may appeal a decision regarding retention to the appropriate Superintendent/designee.

    6. If a student is retained in the current grade, the instructional team for that grade will review any academic interventions provided to the student during the current academic school year and make revisions designed to accelerate the student’s pace of learning for the following year.

  3. Consideration for Accelerated Grade Placement

    1. A principal will, upon the recommendation of a school/grade team or parent, consider accelerating a student to an advanced full grade level when the student consistently demonstrates the ability to achieve at a higher level than expected in the curriculum standards as measured by quarterly, teacher-made and other assessments, and by teacher observations.

    2. The principal will decide whether to move the student to an advanced full grade level based on a number of factors, which may include, but are not limited to the following:

      • Academic achievement level

      • Age of the student

      • Previous accelerations

      • Attendance record

      • Parental concerns

      • Social and emotional developmental learning

      • Health factors

      • Report card

      • IEP

      • Section 504 Plan

    3. Students will not be accelerated to advanced grades against the wishes of their parent.

    4. Parents may appeal a decision denying accelerated grade placement to the appropriate Superintendent/designee.

VI. Homework

  1. Homework assignments may include the following but are not limited to:

    1. Reading assignments

    2. Tasks, problems, or prompts

    3. Work on larger, long-term projects

    4. Papers

    5. Studying.

  2. Homework will be purposeful, appropriate, informational, and flexible.

    1. Purposeful: Students understand why they are completing homework. Homework is grounded in and expands upon skills and knowledge students have learned in the classroom.

    2. Appropriate: Homework should be designed so that all students can experience success in independent completion of assignments. Accommodations will be provided as outlined in students’ IEPs and Section 504 Plans on homework.

    3. Informational: Homework enables parents to be included in their child’s day-to-day school experiences.

    4. Flexible: Assignments can be successfully completed within timeframes that have flexible deadlines when possible.

  3. Homework processes will be communicated with all stakeholders.

    1. Each school year principals will ensure that teachers provide information to parents about the school’s homework procedures.

    2. Teachers are required to ensure that homework is accommodated/modified as necessary in accordance with students’ IEPs and Section 504 Plans.

    3. Teachers will provide feedback on homework assignments.

    4. No mandatory homework assignments are to be given to students electronically only.

    5. No homework assignments will be due on a day schools are closed due to inclement weather.

    6. There will be no mandatory homework given over the summer for all grade levels, nor winter or spring breaks for students in grades Prekindergarten-5.

    7. A student may make up and receive a recorded grade for homework not completed due to the observance of a religious holiday. Students returning from a religious holiday observance will have an equal number of days to complete make-up work.

VII. Monitoring

Policy 8010 implementation procedures will be overseen by the Division of Academics.

VIII. History

ADOPTED: June 27, 1991

REVIEWED: February 24, 2022

MODIFIED:

  • August 16, 2012

  • February 14, 2019

  • June 13, 2019

  • September 2, 2021

  • August 16, 2022

  • June 6, 2024

REVISED:

  • June 10, 1999

  • May 25, 2000

  • June 14, 2001

  • July 13, 2001

  • January 27, 2005

  • August 23, 2018

EFFECTIVE: June 6, 2024

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.