Grades communicate student progress in learning and mastering essential standards, concepts and skills.

Philosophies of Grading

Grades Are Relative

In relative grading, student grades indicate the knowledge and skill a student has mastered in comparison to other students in the class.

Grades Are Relative

In relative grading, student grades indicate the knowledge and skill a student has mastered in comparison to other students in the class.

Grades Are Subjective

In subjective grading, student grades indicate performance of knowledge, skills and understanding according to his or her potential.

Informal and Formal Grading

Teachers can communicate student progress in a class through informal and formal assessments.

• Informal assessments provide feedback of student progress in learning essential standards, concepts and skills. Generally, informal assessments should not be graded for accuracy.
  
  
• Formal assessments provide feedback of student mastery of essentials. Formal assessments are graded to reflect student performance. The grade should be numeric in order to reflect the percentage of mastery.
  
  

• The emphasis in the class should be on learning instead of grades.
  
  
• Grades should demonstrate learning based on mastery of essential standards, concepts and skills.
  
  
• Students should be informed of the grading system, policies and procedures that will be used.
  
  
• Students should be informed in advance if attendance, attitude, effort, and/or participation will factor into their grade.
  
  
• Students should be given an opportunity to ask questions for clarification concerning the grading system.
  
  
• Students should be informed of their progress on a regular basis.
  
  
• Corrective and informative feedback should be provided to help students know how to improve.
  
  
• Multiple assessment opportunities should be given in order to prove mastery of the essentials.
  
  
• Grades become inflated and ineffective in demonstrating mastery when extra credit is allowed.