Secondary Grading and Reporting Guidelines

The purpose of these regulations is to provide a consistent set of grading and reporting regulations.  The regulations adhere to the Texas Education Code (TEC), The Texas Administrative Code (TAC) and Cleburne ISD Board policies and regulations.

This manual

• Describes the District’s grading system which all elementary teachers will implement
• Encourages a better understanding of grading, reporting, and promotion for teachers, parents/guardians and students, and
• Fosters consistency in grading, reporting student achievement and promotion/retention practices across the District.

Teachers, students, and parents/guardians should understand the impact of grades on high school class rank [Board Policy EIC (Local)] and on promotion and/or retention [Board Policy EIE (Local)].

Cleburne ISD believes that all children can learn.  Grading and reporting should focus on student growth and learning in a climate of high expectations.  Grading and reporting should be both formative and summative in nature and should utilize both formal and informal processes. Cleburne ISD staff is accountable for structuring learning experiences, teaching processes, planning and evaluation, and utilization of materials, resources, and time to result in optimum student learning.

Cleburne ISD teachers will use grading as part of the intricate process of learning.  Using the TEKS as the foundation of the curriculum, they will assess what students already know and what they need to learn.

Cleburne ISD teachers will:

• Construct assignments and assessments that will both teach and assess students’ learning;
• Establish fair, clear standards and criteria and apply those criteria consistently to student work;
• Use rubrics when assessing students’ skills;
• Offer feedback to their students in the form of comments and grades; 5 Revised 8/23/2022
• Provide meaningful opportunities within the classroom setting for their students to assess their own work;
• Apply what they learn from the grading process to improve their teaching;
• Input a minimum of one minor grade per week and one major grade by progress report; and
• Have a minimum of 6 minor grades and 2 major grades by the end of each grading period.
• Enter grades by 4pm on the last day of the grading period per the CISD academic calendar.
• Contact the parent/guardian by phone, email or conference of any student making below a 70 prior to the end of each three-week period.  Contact is defined as a response from parent/guardian by phone, email, or conference.

Grades will assist teachers to:

1. Communicate progress to the student and parents/guardians on the mastery of the TEKS
2. Appraise the effectiveness of teaching strategies and modes of instruction
3. Evaluate strengths and needs of each student
4. Determine if credit will be awarded

Grades will assist parents/guardians to:

1. Understand their child as a learner
2. Be knowledgeable about the child’s mastery of the TEKS
3. Guide the child in making academic progress toward successful graduation
4. Encourage the child to give maximum performance in academic areas

Grades will assist the student to:

1. Evaluate and see personal progress on mastery of the TEKS
2. Recognize how work may be improved

As used in these regulations, the term “mastery” refers to the knowledge and skills necessary for students to be academically successful. Grades earned commonly reflect the degree to which students attain mastery in any given class. Further, student mastery implies foundational understanding necessary in developing skills and processes on a continuum from simple to complex.

To determine the content on which mastery is based, teachers will rely on the state TEKS as reflected in the District scope and sequences, curriculum guides and/or advanced course curricula. This mastery will be supported by research-based instructional practices, available technology, community resources and textbooks. Pulling from the vast range of resources, the teacher will create lessons that reflect the TEKS being targeted and include assessment strategies appropriate for the learning of all students.

Effective teachers use a variety of formative and summative assessment to determine mastery of content and skills being taught. Assessments may include but are not limited to student performances and projects, teacher observation of developmental skills, samples of student work, oral interviews and written assignments. Grading strategies will also differ depending on whether or not a teacher is instructing in skills, theory, processes, or products.

Recording mastery at one point in time does not guarantee lifelong mastery, nor does it relieve teachers of the responsibility of reviewing content as part of ongoing instruction.

Grading serves the following purposes or functions:

1. Information/Feedback– to inform parents and students regularly of the student’s success in learning and mastery of local objectives and the TEKS.
2. Guidance– to promote and maintain desirable patterns of behavior and achievement and to identify areas for reteaching.
3. Motivation– to encourage the student toward maximum achievement and realistic self-appraisal for future educational and occupational planning, and
4. Administration– to provide data for use in educational planning and decision-making.

Report cards are only one of the many means of communicating with parents.  Conferencing with parents is another way.  Conferences are useful to improve understanding and communication among teacher, student, and parent.  A conference may be initiated by a parent, teacher, student, or administrator.

If a parent desires a conference with his or her child’s teacher(s) to discuss the child’s progress, the parent must contact the teacher directly to schedule a meeting during the teacher’s conference period or other acceptable time to the parent and teacher.  Parents must report to the school office prior to meeting with the teacher.

Any notice required by policy to be sent to the parent(s) or guardian of a student will be written in the language spoken by the parent(s) or guardian.  If the language of the parent(s) or guardian is other than English or Spanish, a reasonable attempt to find a suitable translation will be made.

1. Grades on student work will be recorded numerically in the teacher’s grade book by each grading period, semester average, and year average when appropriate.  Teachers are to provide a reference key for their grade books.  The grade for a reporting period will be the weighted average of these numerical grades. If the numerical average results in a mixed number with a fraction of 0.5 or higher, the average will be rounded to the next highest whole number.
2. The student’s mastery of the instructional objectives aligned in the TEKS for grade-level subjects or courses shall be the major factor in determining the student’s grade for a subject or course [EIA (LOCAL)].
3. There will be 2 grade categories for Middle School and High School – major and minor.  Major grades will comprise 60% of the six-week grade and minor grades will count 40%.   Teachers are required to have a minimum of 8 grades per grade report, two of which must be major grades. The specific grading category for any given assignment(s) is a consensus decision made within each department.
4. Formative common assessments created by each department or team may be assigned a grade if the content of the assessment has been covered in the course up to that point. District interim assessments may also be assigned a grade if the content of the assessment has been covered in the course up to that point.
5. No “blanket” grades are to be assigned.  A blanket grade is giving every student in the class the same grade for an assignment without regard to individual achievement.(For instance, a teacher giving a “100” for bringing school supplies would be a non-academic blanket grade.)
6. The actual numerical grade will be recorded in the student’s permanent records [EIA (LOCAL)]. The grades recorded in the permanent record are semester grades.
7. Cooperative learning structures may be used as an instructional strategy in order to encourage academic achievement in a team context.  The rubric or grading standards for a cooperative activity or project will be shared with the students in advance indicating whether they will be graded for individual academic achievement, team academic achievement, or both.
8. The responsibility of the grading belongs with the teacher.  While peer review, e.g. peer editing and marking, can be a valuable learning activity, students will not grade tests, quizzes or other major assignments.  Peer marking of homework and/or other minor assignments is acceptable, but the teacher must review the work before assigning the final grades.Students MUST NOT HAVE ACCESS to other student’s grades.
9. Grades that are identifiable by individual students must not be posted or announced publicly by teachers or students.
10. A student’s academic grades will not be affected by non-academic behavior or adherence to procedural rules, e.g. using the proper heading or using a certain color of ink, bringing certain supplies to class, or being tardy.
11. A student may not be given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance at least 90% of the days for each semester after the first date of enrollment in the District [FEC (LEGAL)].
    1. Absences due to suspensions shall not be counted against the minimum attendance policy as prescribed by law.
    2. If a student is suspended, the student will be allowed to make up the work when the student returns to school.
12. Students found to have engaged in academic dishonesty shall be subject to grade penalties on assignments or tests and may be subject to disciplinary penalties. The grade penalty may include receiving no credit for the assignment or having to redo the assignment in a disciplinary setting such as In-School Suspension. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating or copying the work of another student, plagiarism, and unauthorized communication between students during an examination or outside of class with students who have not yet tested or turned in work.  The determination that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty shall be based on the judgment of the classroom teacher or another supervising professional employee, on a preponderance of the evidence, taking into consideration written materials, observation, or information from students [EIA (LOCAL)].
13. Students engaged in cheating, academic dishonesty, or other testing irregularity on a state test such as STAAR will be subject to disciplinary measures in accordance with TEA testing policy.

The District’s goal is for every student to master all the TEKS specified for each grade-level and the STAAR End of Course (EOC) exams.  Each student will be provided instruction that allows for application and practice of the concepts and skills mandated in the TEKS and then assessed for mastery.  If a student does not demonstrate mastery of concepts and skills as specified in the TEKS and necessary for future learning, reteaching and retesting (or reassessment) should be provided for the student.

For the purpose of consistency and equity, each campus will have a reteach and retest plan that is appropriate for student mastery. Campuses will ensure that teachers at each grade level in middle school and courses in high school follow their campus reteach/retest plan. It is the responsibility of the grade level or course teachers to monitor student progress and to implement reteaching and retesting for all, most, some, or one of the students.  Teachers will base their decisions to reteach and retest on whether the curriculum provides sufficient future opportunities for most students to master a concept or skill.

1. If 50% or more of students in a class fail to demonstrate mastery of TEKS on a major assignment, the teacher will provide an opportunity for reteaching and retesting.  All students in the class will be given the opportunity for reteach and retest.
2. If fewer than 50% of students in a class fail to demonstrate mastery of TEKS on a summative assessment, the teachers will provide reteaching or retesting to those students who did not demonstrate mastery.
3. Reteaching should employ instructional strategies different from the original instruction.
4. Retesting or reassessment must include a more rigorous reteaching exercise; these can include but are not limited to oral examination, additional practice activities, an essay or paper, a report or presentation, revision of a paper, or a formal test.
5. Reteaching/retesting provisions do not apply to semester exams.
6. Simply making test corrections cannot be a substitute for reteaching or retesting.
7. The teacher is required to give at least one retake opportunity.
8. Any student retaking or redoing a major assignment must complete it within 5 school days.
9. For a student demonstrating mastery on a retake assignment or test, the higher of the two grades (2) will be accepted.

Redo and Retake Grade Example

Meaningful homework is a vital part of the educational process for several reasons:

• Homework helps families become involved in the educational process;
• Homework communicates the high expectations that schools hold for students; and
• Homework helps students develop self-discipline and organizational skills.

Students are required to make up assignments, homework, projects, quizzes and tests missed due to absences. The district distinguishes absences as excused and unexcused.  Make up work for excused absences will be eligible for full credit.  Students can receive up to a 20% deduction from the total grade earned for any assignment or assessment not made up within the allotted time.  A truant absence is an unexcused absence with disciplinary consequences.  Make up work for unexcused absences may be penalized equal to late work.  A 20% deduction from the total grade earned can be taken on make up work for unexcused absences.

1. Students will be allowed reasonable time to make up assignments, homework, projects, quizzes and tests missed due to absences.
   1. Students shall receive at least two days for the first day of absence to make up assignments and receive an additional day for every subsequent day of absence. For example, if a student misses three days, he/she will have four days to complete the missing work. If the student only misses one day, he/she will have two days to complete the missing work.
   2. For extended absences, make up assignments shall be made available to students after two (2) consecutive class days of absence.
   3. Teachers will provide the assignments to the students and inform students of the time allotted for completing make-up assignments, homework, projects, quizzes and tests.
   4. Each teacher shall post each day’s assignments in a designated location accessible to students. Teachers may post in Canvas or designate an accessible location in the classroom where daily assignments are permanently recorded, like in a folder or notebook.
   5. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain, complete and submit the missed work in the time allotted.
2. Students will not be required to take a quiz or test on the day returning to class from an absence if the quiz or test was announced during the student’s absence.
3. After their return to class, teachers are required to make arrangements with the students within two class days to take a test/quiz if the test/quiz was announced during the student’s absence.
4. Make-up work and tests for all absences should be of the same rigor, but not necessarily the same format, as the original activity, test, or assignment.
5. Make-up tests or presentations may be scheduled before school, after school, during the student’s class period, and/or at the teacher’s discretion to ensure that new/significant content is not missed.
6. Students will make prior arrangements with teachers for making up missed work when the absence can be anticipated, e.g. a dental appointment, court appearance or appointment, approved school-related activities, etc.
7. After a prolonged absence, the teacher has the right to exempt a student from some assignments if the teacher determines that doing so will not have a negative impact on the student’s ability to master the concept or unfairly bias his/her grade.
8. The district shall not impose a grade penalty for make-up work after an absence because of suspension.
9. A school-related absence will be considered an excused absence for the purpose of making up work missed.

1. Late work is defined as any assignment that is not submitted on the due date and class period with the exception of make-up work for absences or approved school activities.
2. A maximum 20% deduction from the total grade earned can be taken for late assignments.
3. Late assignments will be accepted at least until the material has been assessed with a major grade or within a three-week grading period, whichever is first. However, a teacher may accept late work beyond this point at his/her discretion.
4. Extenuating circumstances may occur that prevent the completion and turning in of assignments on the due date.  It is the parent/guardian and /or student’s responsibility to inform the teacher and/or appropriate administrator of any such circumstances so that an exception to the rule may or may not be granted.  The teacher and/or appropriate administrator shall have the authority to render a final decision on the granting of any exceptions.

• Common assessments, which may include mini-assessments, are the result of a collaborative effort among teachers to improve instruction and gain data to respond to the diverse needs of students.  They are designed to measure student mastery of the taught curriculum (TEKS).
• Common assessments are given periodically based on the District’s scope and sequence or at the end of units of study, grading period, or semesters.
• Common assessments for which instruction has been provided may be used in calculating student grades.
• All students in special education who will take either the STAAR or STAAR online, will participate in common assessment testing using the appropriately modified common assessments as identified through the ARD committee.  These students will also receive the testing accommodations that are used on a regular basis as identified by the ARD committee.
• Feedback from common assessments should be shared with students and parents/guardians on campus in order to debrief the activity and the learning.
• Feedback from benchmark tests can and should be shared with students and parents/guardians on campus in order to debrief the activity and the learning.  The actual District benchmark assessment should not be sent home with students or parents.

Middle School Attendance

Middle School attendance is considered on a year-long basis.  In Middle School, a student who has absences in excess of 18 days a year will put the student in danger of losing credit for course work completed.  When a student’s attendance drops below 90 percent but remains at least within 75 percent of the days the class is offered, the student may earn credit for the class by completing a plan approved by the principal.  This plan must provide for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class as determined by the principal and/or attendance committee [FEC (LEGAL and LOCAL)].  Successful completion of summer school may allow promotion to the next grade.

High School Attendance

High School attendance is considered as a semester-long structure.  Consequently, in high school a student could lose credit for a class unless he or she is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered.  When a student’s attendance drops below 90 percent but remains at least 75 percent of the days the class is offered, the student may earn credit for the class by completing a plan approved by the principal.  This plan must provide for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class as determined by the principal and/or attendance committee [FEC (LEGAL and LOCAL)]. The student will be encouraged to attend summer school to make up credits and consult with the home school for other options.

School Activity Absences

Students should not be penalized for late work.

When a student transfers into the school with records from another school in the district or from another school outside the district, attendance for courses in progress from the sending school will be used to calculate the 90% attendance requirement.

Middle School Students

• Promotion to the next grade level shall be based on an overall average of 70 or above on a scale of 100 based on course-level, grade level standards (essential knowledge and skills) for all subject areas and a grade of 70 or above in three of the following areas:  language arts, mathematics, social studies and science.
• In addition, students in grade 8 must meet the state testing requirement or be recommended by the Grade Placement Committee (GPC) in order to be promoted to grade 9

High School Students

Promotion and classification of high school students are based on the following factors: [EIE (LOCAL)]

• Grade-level advancement for students in grades 9-12 shall be earned by course credits.
• Changes in grade-level classification shall be made at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters

Graduation and credit requirements are as follows:

• All students graduating from high school must meet the minimum units required by Texas Education Agency (TEA) and any additional graduation requirements as set forth by the Board of Trustees.
• In addition to satisfying all course and credit requirements, graduates must also meet state assessment requirements.
• A student must maintain a full-year grade average of at least 70 on a scale of 100 to be given credit for a course.
• Course credit may be earned through special credit options such as Credit Recovery, Credit-by-Exam, and Summer School.

The grade book is the legal repository and is an accurate record of each student’s work and achievement. The grade book is electronically archived at the District level. To inform parents, guardians and students of due dates and provide timely feedback of grades, teachers shall:

• Post major assignments, assessments, and projects prior to the dues date.
• Post graded assignments, assessments, and projects within five school days or less from the due date so parents and students may view the grades through Skyward Family Access.
• Input a minimum of one minor grade per week and one major grade by progress report; and
• Have a minimum of 6 minor grades and 2 major grades by the end of each grading period.
• Verify and edit student grades prior to the release of progress reports and report cards. A calendar of Skyward reporting deadlines for student grades will be sent to teachers by the campus principal or the District data service department.
• Update “Incomplete” grades within three weeks after the end of a grading period. For a student to be eligible for UIL competition, an “Incomplete” must be replaced with a passing grade within seven calendar days of the close of the grading period.
• Refer to UIL side-by-side for participant eligibility. Progress reports and report cards are released in Skyward approximately one week after the end of the grading period. Please see the District calendar posted on www.c-isd.com for exact dates for the release of report cards.

TEC Sections 28.0212 and 29.081 mandates that accelerated instruction be provided for all students in grades 6-12 who do not perform satisfactorily on any section of the STAAR exams, who are not likely to receive a diploma before the fifth school year following enrollment in grade 9, or who are at-risk of dropping out of school.

1. For a student in grades 6-12 who has failed any STAAR exams or who is not likely to graduate before the fifth year following enrollment in grade 9, a Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) must be developed with the participation of the student and the parent/guardian.
2. The PGP may determine the program of acceleration, or the Response to Intervention (RtI) team may assist in designing the accelerated instruction.
3. Interventions should occur during the regular school day as well as during other times determined by each campus. This program may include:
   1. Local credit courses to improve academic readiness
   2. Tutorial assistance
   3. Course and credit recovery programs
   4. Emergent Bilingual (EB) programs
   5. Summer school programs
   6. Evening school for high school programs
   7. Online tutorials
   8. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) designed by a Special Education ARD committee.
   9. Before or after-school courses

When the electronic PGP is developed, the plan should be shared with all appropriate teachers and should be monitored, updated and revised each year as necessary.