Grading standards as of April 27, 2020

When school districts closed for the remainder of the school year there were many plans to create and implement to make sure our students were fed, received technology, and had guidance and support for distance learning. One of the hardest issues to resolve was how to assign grades during this time. We waited for guidance from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) who came out with their standards and recommendations on April 21. Working within their parameters, Everett Public Schools will be grading this semester as outlined below. 

Grading K-8
Students in grades K–8 will be challenged by their teachers to demonstrate effort and success in learning standards. Students will move on to the next grade, unless by mutual agreement between parents/guardians and teachers they agree to repeat a grade or a portion of learning missed. 

Grades 9–12 and middle school students taking credit-bearing high school level work
Students will be graded on the A, B, C or Incomplete criteria. We are awaiting word from OSPI whether Sequoia High School can continue to use alternative grading scales as they have sone for many years.

·      Every student will get an opportunity to improve their grade with their March 17 status as a baseline.

·      No grade will go down from the March 17 baseline. No student will receive a “pass,” “fail,” or “no credit” grade for any course.

·      Any student can improve their grade by showing frequent or consistent engagement, or by showing progress to standards.

·      A or 4.0 on the 4.0 grading scale: This is for students who had an A on March 17, or who had a lower grade and has shown both progress to standards and has shown engagement during distance learning.

·      B or 3.0 on the 4.0 grading scale: This is for students who had a B on March 17, or who had a lower grade and has shown either progress to standards or has shown engagement during distance learning.

·      C or 2.0 on the 4.0 grading scale: This is for students who had a C on March 17 and is also the foundational target for teachers to work with students who had lower than a C, to engage them in learning.  

·      I (Incomplete) Is the rare option for circumstances that might warrant it. Students assigned an “incomplete” for a course will be given opportunities to reengage in the learning standards according to a district process to be developed soon. Some options could include:

o   Summer school,

o   Courses in the following term or year,

o   Independent study,

o   Competency-based courses,

o   Online courses, or

o   Backfilling the incomplete grade with the letter grade obtained in the next course taken in that subject area. 

·      Every class taken during the closure period will be given a statewide designator on the high school transcript to denote the unique environment in which the course was taken. 

Students receiving Special Education services
With access to accommodations and modifications, students can be graded using the grading criteria above. If a student was graded Pass / Fail before closure they can receive a “pass” or “satisfactory” grading option or the grading criteria above per OSPI. Grading should be determined on an individual-student basis in partnership with the student and parent/guardian and documented in the Continuous Learning Plan and/or Prior Written Notice. 

College in the High School
High school students who are taking a College in the High School course will receive specific information from their teachers. Please note that these courses may be subject to grading standards and expectations from the respective higher education institutions. 

Sno-Isle and CTE Dual Credit
We are still seeking clarity for grading in Sno-Isle and CTE Dual Credit courses. We will provide further information as soon as possible.