Spring 2018

• PTSA White Paper (practices not supporting student learning, including inconsistencies in grading practices)

Fall 2018

• Alternate (non-graded) consequences for cheating (honor code)

Spring 2020

• (Pandemic Grading) Mastery Learning, 0-3 Scale

Fall 2020

• Rolling Gradebook
• Common Assessment Retake Policy (student must have opportunity to relearn prior to reassessment)

Spring 2021

• (Pandemic Grading) Final Exams Can Only Help Final Grades

Fall 2021

• Maintained
  • Rolling gradebook
  • Final exams only helping final grades
• 4.0 Scale
• Refined Common Late Work/Redo Policy (minimum quarterly deadline to complete w/o penalty)

Fall 2022

• Maintained
  • Rolling gradebook
  • 4.0 scale
  • Final exams only helping final grades
  • Minimum quarter deadline for late work/redos
• 3 Gradebook Setup Options
  • Total Points
  • 70% Summative/30% Formative
  • Standards-Based
• 70% Formative Work Completed to Reassess

Fall 2023

• Maintained
  • Rolling gradebook
  • 0-4 scale
  • Final exams only helping final grades
  • Minimum quarter deadline for late work/redos
• 2 Gradebook Setup Options
  • 70% Summative/30% Formative
  • Standards-Based
• Rolling Gradebooks w/Grade Replacement

The standards for a course as determined by the state or district - in our case, the Virginia Standards of Learning.

The most important standards and skills for our students to know and be able to do by the end of the year.

Fully understanding and applying the skill or standard appropriately.  

A rolling gradebook (formerly known as yearlong or cumulative gradebooks) is a cumulative document. Final grades are determined by a combination of all assignments and assessments. It is not an average of quarter marks. The grade posted at the end of each traditional quarter is a snapshot of a student’s current progress in the course.  Watch a video about how the rolling gradebooks created by WPHS teacher Mr. Colin O’Grady here. 

The goal of a summative assessment is to evaluate a student's level of mastery of essential course skills and POG skills at key inflection points and/or endpoints during the course.

The goal of a formative assessment is to evaluate student progress toward mastery of essential course skills.

• Teachers will use these assessments to:
  • provide ongoing feedback to students
  • identify areas of need and to inform instructional decisions
• Students will use these assessments to:
  • identify their progress towards mastery and target skills that need more practice
  • set goals and advocate for their learning 

Modern Classrooms Project is an approach to learning that combines blended instruction, self-paced structures, and mastery-based grading throughout the learning process.  

Set of guidelines used to promote the consistent application of learning expectations for a skill, standard, or unit of study

The grade earned indicates the level of mastery in accordance with the FCPS Program of Studies or the College Board’s Advanced Placement curriculum for each subject area.  Grades will be posted within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback. 

Teachers will enter due dates for assignments in Schoology. You can use the calendar feature to view due dates.  If you can’t find what you are looking for, please reach out to the teacher.

The syllabus for your student’s course should explain all comments utilized in SIS.  The following comments are used consistently in all courses at West Potomac:

• NTI- Not turned in (carries a weight of zero)

HCR- Honor Code Referral (used if the assignment is going through the Honor Code process.  There is no grade assigned with this code).

Per FCPS policy, Students will not be given extra credit or grades for activities such as bringing in classroom materials, providing parent/guardian signatures, participating in fundraising/charitable events, or participating in non-curricular activities.

Teachers will communicate on their course syllabi how the rolling gradebook will be used, as well as corresponding weighted categories, if applicable.

Teachers will communicate on their course syllabi how the final exam or culminating activity will impact the overall grade. 

For students who pass an AP/HNs course, an additional 1.0/.5 quality point will be added to the quality point value assigned to the final mark for purposes of calculating GPA.  Students enrolled in AP courses are strongly encouraged to take the culminating external examination associated with the course.  These standardized examinations are designed to measure content and skill mastery and a successful score may earn credit and advanced placement in college.  Information for students who choose not to participate in an AP exam for a course in which they are currently enrolled can be accessed by contacting the student’s counselor.

Late work will be accepted to document mastery of learning through the end of the quarter, at a minimum, with no penalty to the grade.  Due dates can be found in the course calendar in Schoology.  Students should communicate with teachers about the need for flexibility regarding specific assignments in advance of due dates. Teachers and students will work together to determine a reasonable extension.  If the assignment is not turned in, the grade comment “NTI” will be used to calculate a zero in the grade book.

Students can retake or revise assessments during the quarter in which it was assigned.  

Yes.  More information about the Honor Code and Honor Code referral process can be found here. 

Students should reach out to their teacher if they have a question about a grade.  If there are still concerns after the student has contacted the teacher, parents should communicate with the teacher directly.  The expectation is that teachers respond to parent concerns within 48 hours. You may also reach out to your child’s school counselor who can help facilitate a conversation with the teacher.

The 4.0 scale provides students with a more equitable and standardized assessment score. There is a larger variation in the 100 point scale for what an A, A-, B, B+, etc., could be when teachers have the option of a 10 point difference within a letter grade. The 4.0 scale also ensures that students are receiving the higher end of the grade scale.

Example: A student might receive a 97 as an A in the 100 point scale system in one class and the same student might receive a 95 as an A in the 100 point scale in a different class. The 4.0 scale pre-determines that an A, regardless of class or teacher, is a 4.0 and an A-, regardless of class or teacher, is a 3.7. These are the “highest ends of the range” (A = 3.8 - 4.0  and A- = 3.4. - 3.7).

Teachers are providing feedback as usual through formative assessments, grades, and the daily conversations and learning experiences in class. Feedback is one of the most important aspects for teaching and learning regardless of the scale being used, and teachers will continue to provide feedback with formative assessments and practice/preparation assignments. Embedded into the 4.0 scale is often the shift to a standards-based assessment system, where students receive detailed feedback and ongoing assessment opportunities to develop mastery over time on the discrete skills within a larger unit or assessment experience. As students receive grades on the essential standards and skills of a course, they are receiving MORE information and feedback on their skill level in the standards so that teachers can provide more personalized learning opportunities and reassessment opportunities for students in order to support students as they “master” skills and deeply understand content standards over time.

Example: In English 10, the standards of “Identify an Author’s Intended Meaning”, “Provide evidence to support a claim” and “Analyze evidence to explain the author’s intended meaning” are all essential skills within a larger analysis essay assessment. Students receive a score for these essential skills in the grade book on a 4.0 scale. Instead of simply receiving an “88” on an essay, students are provided scores for each skill/standard, such as “thesis statement”, “integration of evidence,” analysis of literary elements”. This provides more specific and concrete feedback and students are able to focus on specific essential skills as they reassess or in the next assessment opportunity. The students are given more information to track their growth in the skills over time.

*Note: at the beginning of the learning experience/unit/year, these skills are “new” to a student or the level/cognitive demand is higher than the previous year or unit, it is common that students may not be proficient at first, which will reflect a lower assessment score. However, the skills-based system provides multiple opportunities for students to continue to develop and reassess the essential skills in order to move toward mastery. Students often have multiple formative assessments before they have a summative assessment.

Teachers have common syllabi with common language across the school and departments regarding formative and summative assessments and learning opportunities. Grade level and content level teams have common grading practices.

Only the student’s final grade is reported on official transcripts which are requested by Colleges and Universities.