·- Shelby County Board of Education 5012 Issued Date: 00/00/00 GRADING MODIFICATIONS I. PURPOSE To outline guidelines for grading modifications. II. SCOPE This policy applies to Shelby County Schools students and employees. ill. POLICY STATEMENT The District recognizes that grading modifications ma. · e occr;:s!>ar\i from time to time to accurately reflect student progress in courses/classc-.;. , ..cie1, :r ~ ffir .11 " · and interventions/recovery programs and to adjust for ~1-~cctio1,s if and when errors occur. Additionally, modifications r , . 11 , ,.-ith aprropriatc grading practices, district policies/regulations/gui-i~!!:-L · •· · •wcedurcs. or state or federal law. The District seeks to limit the need for grading moc!ii' , ·nodifications are appropriate and transparent when they occur. Tberefort , " , _,, ·rre to engage in appropriate grading practices; implement required accoP1r· 0,~'.-ll'vT:,l·,f instruction. As indicated by the IEP, students with disabilities need accommodations or modificalions to their educational program in order to participate in the general curriculum and to be successful in school. An accommodation allows a student to complete the same assignment or test as other students, but with a change in the timing, formatting, setting. scheduling, response and/or presentation, as well as teacher made tests. The Tennessee Department of Education provides allowable testing accommodations for statewide assessments. Accommodations do not alter in any significant way what the test or assignment measures. Examples of accommodations include a student who is blind taking a Braille version of a test or a student taking a test alone in a quiet room. 5012 Grading Modifications I of S A modification is an adjustment to an assignment or a test that changes the standard or what the test or assignment is supposed to measure. Examples of possible modifications include a student completing work on part of a standard or a student completing an alternate assignment that is more easily achievable than the standard assignment. Any accommodation or modification an IEP team chooses must be based on the individual needs of students, and must be implemented by teachers the entire year. English Learners (EL) Students receiving services as English Learners must be afforded modified instruction and evaluation that relates specifically to the student's stage of English Language Development (ELD) as developed collaboratively between the ESL and content area teachers, and outlined within the individual learning plan (ILP). These processes will 0H€1-provides access to grade level content and skills. English Learners must be evaluated with appropriate and valid assessments that are aligned with state and local standards and that take into account the language acquisition stages and cultural backgrounds of the students. During the early stages of ELD, grading for content-area courses must be focused more on the progress made·,.,r ,,-•tr row·ud goal attainment than on direct comparisons to the achievement of native speakers. Grade Documentation, Recording, Verit1cation, and 1Vfo-:!m£:-.;fan:;s a. Documentation - Student grades are determined by the;; ;:el.;r,her in accordance with grading criteria and district policy/regulation. The grade given by the teacher must be supported by documentation. Additionally, the school aml/or district shall maintain documentation of each student 's participation in and completion of interventions, independent study work, make-up work, grade recovery, course/credit recovery,£learning classes, correspondence courses, online courses, and other such courses/academic programs. Teachers, schools, and/or the District must maintain documentation of accommodations/modifications required for English Learners (EL) students based on their individual learning plans (JLPs) and accommodations/modifications required for students qualifying for special education services based on their individual education plans (IEPs). b. Grade Recording - All student grades shall be recorded using only the official gradebook identified by the District (e.g., the SCS identified electronic gradebook). Additionally, in order to preserve the confidentiality of student records and information, do·wnloadable non SCS-approved electronic gradebooks are not permitted. j c. Grade Verification - Prior to the issuance of progress reports and report cards, principals or their designee(s) should conduct a grades verification process as outlined by the department responsible for the District's student information system. As part of this process, teachers arc responsible for ensuring the accuracy of grades that will be 50 I 2 Grading Modifications 2 ofS l ~ reported on progress reports and report cards and signing off when their grades are final by a deadline established by the principal. r I d. Grade Modification by the Teacher - Teachers should make any needed modifications to a student's grade in his/her gradebook prior to the completion of the grade verification process. Should a grade modification be necessary after such time period, the teacher shall consult with his/her principal regarding the District's approval process. J\11 modification requests by teachers must be accompanied by documentation. The documentation shall include a justification, inclusive of a student's participation in class, school, or district programs, interventions, and efforts to make-up work/assignments, recover grades, or recover credit/courses. e. Grade Modifications by Administrators - The principal or desigAee(s) has the responsibility and authority to modify grades given by teachers under his/her supervision when it has been determined that the original grades were based upon inaccurate, erroneous, or noncompliant data or the grade modification reflects the following: • • • • • • Correction of inaccurate data Compliance with appropriate grading practices; state and/or district policies/ regulations/guidelines/standard operating procedures; or state or federal law (e.g., failure to apply and/or mcu, , st--- ~ ,. .. t;r .ic ·• ,: district grading policies/regulations, procr ~fieations /modifications under academic program such as ESL, SP~'.~---e1't;-,-j :c•1