5121 - Examination and Grading
The Bon Homme School Board is concerned about the progress of the students in the school and with the system of reporting that progress to the students and their parents. The examination and grading system in use in the schools should reflect the student's progress and communicate it clearly.
The Superintendent shall ensure that a uniform system of achievement-based grading will be implemented, evaluated, and updated at least annually. The administrative team will have the responsibility of directing, operating, evaluating, and revising the system. The administrative team shall conduct a formal appraisal of this policy at least once every three years for the Board's review and action.
Principals will ensure that, at all grade levels, teacher's examination, grading and marking plans are appropriate for the subject matter and the children being evaluated. Principals will supervise the completion of formal reports of student progress which will be sent to parents at the end of each quarter during the year. In addition, principals will arrange at least two parent/teacher conferences during each school year.
Each teacher will be responsible for designing achievement marking plans for each of their classes. The plans must be submitted to and approved by the principal and then included in the plan of study for the course.
The administration will establish and maintain a system of permanent records containing data showing each student's attendance, courses taken, quarterly and semester grades, and other information relative to the student's progress. All data kept on each student shall comply with the laws of South Dakota and the United States.
Grades and marks given to children must reflect the progress they are making toward the stated objectives for the course or class as found in the plan of study. Teachers will evaluate each student's progress in a timely manner and will record and report that progress to the student. Deficiencies in student progress should be communicated in writing to parents and students as early as possible so that they can be corrected.
Marks will be recorded on the permanent record at the end of each semester using a letter grade system. The final semester grade shall be determined by counting the first quarter grade as no less than 40%, the second quarter grade as no less than 40% and the semester test as no more than 20%. Semester tests will be given in all courses where they are appropriate. The determination of whether or not a test would be appropriate shall be stated in the Plan of Study for the course.
Each year the Senior Class may come before the Board before March 1st, to request, in writing, an exemption from semester tests for their class members for the second semester of that year. The Board will not consider such a request unless it applies only to those students who have a C- or higher grade and the teacher agrees not to require a semester test of said student in that class. Seniors with grades below C- will be required to take semester tests at a time to be determined by the instructor for the class.
A number or letter grading system may be used by teachers. The chart below shows the numerical equivalents that will be used when changing number grades to letter grades for the permanent record. During translations done by the Principal, all advantage will be given to the student in making final determinations.
A+ (12) = 99-100 A (11) = 96-98 A- (10) = 94-95
B+ (9) = 92=93 B (8) = 89-91 B-(7) = 87-88
C+ (6) = 85-86 C (5) = 80-84 C-(4) = 78-79
D+ (3) = 75-77 D (2) = 73-74 D-(1) = 70-72
F (0) = 69 & Below
All teachers should develop learning criteria for the courses they teach. These criteria should state the concept or skill to be learned and provide a means of measuring progress that will clearly indicate mastery of the concept of skill. Criteria statements assist the student in striving to produce high quality work and assist the teacher in measuring and reporting progress.
Adopted: May 13, 1991
Revised: May 12, 1997