Secondary Grading and Reporting Guidelines

It is the belief of the Cleburne Independent School District that all students can achieve excellence in learning and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful citizens. With the necessary cooperation of students, parents, guardians, and community members, the district will ensure that all students are given the opportunity to master the requirements of a well-balanced curriculum. Cleburne ISD staff is accountable for providing differentiated and scaffolded instruction based on the needs of the learner.

CISD's standards-based curriculum includes the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills adopted by the State Board of Education. The grading guidelines for each grade level, subject, and course define a student's relative mastery of the curriculum and the means by which a student's relative mastery is determined. The purpose of the grading guidelines is to ensure that grading practices are consistent among grade levels, subjects, and courses. These guidelines shall ensure that grading reflects student achievement and that a sufficient number of grades are taken to support the average grade assigned. Guidelines for grading shall be clearly communicated to students and parents. EIA (LOCAL)

Grade Posting

Parents and students may view grades in Skyward.  Upon request, printed copies of grades shall be provided.  Teachers are required to keep grades up to date and post formative assessments, assignments, summative exams and other summative assessments within five school days of the due date. A score of 0 will be entered for all work not received by the due date. Exceptions to the grade-posting timeline may occur only with principal or assistant principal approval.

Parent Communication

The teacher will contact the parent of any student who is failing prior to the end of each grading period. Contact is defined as two-way communication such as making a phone call, leaving a voicemail, text message, direct message, sending an email, or holding a parent/teacher conference either in person or virtually. The parent is responsible for ensuring that all contact information is fully up to date in Skyward. Parents are welcome to contact the teacher during their designated Conference Period to discuss their student's performance.

Progress Reports

A progress report will be posted for all students and parents at the end of each three week grading period through Skyward.

The assigning of a grade in a particular course should reflect a student’s mastery of the skills and content of the course. Grades shall be based on mastery of the curriculum. Grades, including extra credit, shall not be awarded for any non-academic activities such as a compliance grade for attending a sporting event or donating items for a class or club activity.

Types

Major Grades - Summative exams or other assessments may include, but are not limited to tests, projects, long term assignments, presentations, papers and/or reports. A minimum of 1 major grade is required per three week grading period.

Minor Grades - Formative assessments and assignments may include, but are not limited to, class discussion, daily practice, periodic quizzes, homework, classwork, and/or teacher observation. These grades should be a balanced representation of the types of work completed during the course of the grading period. A minimum of 3 minor grades are required per three week grading period.

Grades 7-12 Weighting

Major grades will compose 60% of the overall grade. Minor grades will compose 40% of the overall grade. 

Grades 5-6  Weighting

Major grades will compose 40% of the overall grade. Minor grades will compose 60% of the overall grade.

Grades 9-12

Each six-week grade comprises 30% of the semester grade. The semester exam comprises 10% of the semester grade.

Grades 5-8

Each six-week grade comprises one-third of the semester grade. 

Semester Exams for Grades 9-12

Semester exams will be independent and objective assessments or capstone projects to certify mastery of course content by students. All high school credit course semester exams may be comprehensive and must measure the mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Semester exams are final and are not subject to retesting.

Incompletes

An Incomplete (I) will be issued with approval of an administrator or counselor at the end of a grading period based upon the following criteria: missing assignments due to extenuating circumstances or enrolling in the last 15 days of the semester without receipt of grades from the previous school. Incompletes (I) may be recorded for a period not to exceed seven days after each grading period/semester including semester exams, so students will be allowed seven school days to complete assignments/assessments. Per UIL rules, a zero will be recorded for the missing grades and a final grade will be calculated after the grace period.

Grades for special programs such as Fine Arts, Physical Education, Athletics and Career and Technical Education will be determined with regard to mastery of the TEKS for the particular course.

If a performance is the culminating activity based on implementation of the TEKS, a grade may be given for participation or nonparticipation. While performance is not the only component considered during assessment/evaluation, it is a legitimate part of assessment. If a student misses a performance due to conflicting UIL activities or extenuating circumstances, an alternate assignment must be provided to the student.

Major grades for all special programs may be project or performance-based rather than test based. Students may show mastery of the TEKS through demonstration or testing.

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.

In grades 5–8, promotion to the next grade level shall be based on grade-level standards (essential knowledge and skills) for all subject areas and a grade of 70 or above in the following areas: reading, English language arts, mathematics, and a grade of 70 or above in science or social studies. [EIE (LOCAL)]

Graduation and Credit Requirements

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 Learning Camp.

College Credit

Students in grades 9–12 may earn college credit through the following opportunities:

• Certain courses taught at the high school campus, which may include courses termed dual credit, Advanced Placement (AP), or college preparatory; Enrollment in courses taught in conjunction and in partnership with Hill College, which may be offered on or off campus.

• Enrollment in courses taught at other colleges or universities.

• Certain Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses.

Advanced Level Course Recommendations

All advanced level courses have course recommendations some of which may be:

• An 85 in an advanced-level course taught in that subject matter.

• A 90 in an on-level course taught in that subject matter.

• Passing score on TSIA.

• Enrollment in AVID.

• Teacher recommendation.

Not all colleges and universities accept credit earned in all dual credit or AP courses taken in high school for college credit. Students and parents should check with the prospective college or university to determine if a particular course will count toward the student’s desired degree plan.

GPA Weighting

Eligible advanced academic, AP, and any high school course taken before 9th grade will be weighted according to EIC Local policy.

Major Grades

Students performing unsatisfactorily on a major grade assessment must be offered a retest opportunity after successfully completing review and reteaching with the teacher. Students earning 0-69 can retest up to a score of 70. Students earning 70-84 can retest up to a score of 85. Students earning an 85 or higher do not have the opportunity to retest. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange a retake with the teacher within 3 school days of receiving the original grade. 

In the event more than 50% of the students earned below 70%, the teacher will initiate the reteach and retest opportunities as a whole. Students will have the opportunity to retest at full 100% credit when the whole class reteach and retest is required.

The higher of the two assessment grades will be taken. If a student earns a failing grade on the retake assessment, then the higher of the two failing grades will be taken, and there will not be an additional opportunity for retests/retakes.

The retake assessment must be different from the original assessment; however, the same content will be assessed. Prior to a retest, interventions, reteach activities, or tutorials must take place.

Minor Grades

Retakes are not required on minor grades. 

Additional Assessments

Interim Assessments, District Assessments, and Semester Exams are not eligible for retake/retest. Courses offered in accordance with dual credit or OnRamps will adhere to the outside agency policies. The grade/subject team has the discretion to determine the grading category and scaling for District Assessments.

In order to make academic progress, completing both classwork and homework is crucial. Students are provided with the opportunity to complete make-up work for any missed classwork or homework due to absences.  A student is encouraged to speak with his or her teacher if the student knows of an absence ahead of time, including absences for extracurricular activities, so that the teacher and student may plan any work that can be completed before or shortly after the absence. A student involved in an extracurricular activity must notify his or her teachers ahead of time about any absences.
 

Request for Make-Up Work

Upon returning to school, students must request any missed work from their teacher(s) within two school days of their return. Teachers will provide the student with the necessary assignments, homework, and tests/quizzes that were missed as requested.

Timelines for Completion

Students will have the same amount of time to complete the missed work as they were absent. If additional time is needed, students may request an extension from their teacher(s). After this time frame, any work that is turned in late will be subject to the late work policy in section 10. Work will not be accepted past the six week grading deadline unless a serious emergency or student health situation is indicated.

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 extenuating circumstances.

Advanced, Honors, Dual Credit, OnRamps, and AP Courses

No late work will be accepted in advanced, honors, dual credit, OnRamps, and AP courses.

On-Level Courses

A 20% deduction will be taken from the total grade that would have been earned for late assignments. Late assignments will only be accepted up until 5 school days after the due date and cannot be accepted after the progress report or six week grading period has ended. After this time they will remain as a zero. Exceptions will only be made for extenuating circumstances.

Extenuating circumstances may occur that prevent the completion and turning in of assignments on the due date. It is the parent/guardian and/or students’ 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.

High academic standards should be maintained for Emergent Bilingual (EB) learners; however, no grading policy should adversely affect a student based solely on language proficiency. The teacher must take into consideration the student’s level of English proficiency when planning assessments for and assigning grades to EBs.  Alternative assessments and special instructional methods should be used as appropriate and should be dependent on the level of English language proficiency of the student.  Teachers will use the differentiation section from the curriculum framework to appropriately address the assessment of EBs. All Emergent Bilingual Learners will receive testing accommodations that are used on a regular basis as identified by the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) committee.This applies to Advanced Academics and AP courses as well as on level courses, including electives. 

In accordance with the Cleburne ISD grading philosophy, which indicates that grading and reporting of grades “should focus on student growth and learning in a climate of high expectations,” academic integrity is a crucial requirement to ensure that students truly are growing and developing academically. As such, academic misconduct will not be tolerated.

"Academic misconduct” will be defined as commission of any of the following acts; however, this listing is not exhaustive or exclusive of any other acts that may reasonably be called academic misconduct.

• Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids, or other devices or materials in any academic exercise. Unauthorized materials may include anything or anyone that gives a student assistance that has not been specifically approved in advance by the instructor; including copying of another student’s work. 

• Plagiarism: The appropriation of another person’s or entity’s ideas, processes, results, words (exact or paraphrased), or other intellectual material without giving appropriate credit. This includes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other automated tools to generate or complete assignments.

• Fabrication or Falsification: Making up data or results and recording or reporting them as genuine, submitting fabricated documents, manipulating research materials or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the process is not accurately represented.

• Complicity: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another student commit an act of academic misconduct.

The determination that a student has engaged in academic misconduct shall be based on the judgment of the instructor or other supervising professional employee after consideration of submitted materials, observation, and/or information from students. Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may be assigned a consequence up to and including the receipt of a zero on the assignment in question, and any attempt to resolve the zero may require the submission of an alternative or additional assignment. Such action shall be determined jointly by the instructor and the administrator.

If a student transfers during a six-week grading period, the grade average for each transfer course will be counted proportionate to the number of weeks in the grading period that the grade covers. For example, a student transfers during week five of the six weeks with an 80 average in English. The 80 will be counted five times and the average the student receives (75, for example) in the receiving school’s English course will be counted one time. The total will be divided by six to get the average. For calculating a six week average, utilize the following formula: