Grading Policy

Delta High School students will earn grades on a 4-point scale. Each graded assignment will be based on state and/or national standards. A single piece of student work can target a large number of standards or it may take numerous pieces of work to target and meet a single standard.  Student grades can be accessed online via Edmodo. 

The following are the meanings of individual assignment grades that will be listed in PowerSchool, our electronic grading system:

4-Advanced

Students achieving at the advanced level demonstrate greater academic performance. Advanced work indicates an in-depth understanding or exemplary display of the skills included in the Washington State standards

These students:

• Demonstrate broad, in-depth understanding of complex concepts and skills
• Make abstract, insightful, complex connections among ideas beyond the obvious
• Provide extensive evidence for inferences and justification of solutions
• Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge and skills effectively and independently by applying efficient, sophisticated strategies to solve complex problems
• Communicate effectively and thoroughly, with sophistication

3-Proficient

Students achieving at the proficient level demonstrate satisfactory academic performance. Proficient work indicates solid understanding or display of the skills included in the Washington State standards. This is accepted grade-level performance.

These students:

• Can extend their understandings by making meaningful, multiple connections among important ideas or concepts and provide supporting evidence for inferences and justification of solutions
• Apply concepts and skills to solve problems using appropriate strategies
• Communicate effectively

2-Emerging

Students achieving at the emerging level demonstrate up and coming academic performance. Emerging students indicate a partial understanding or display of the skills included in the Washington State standards. Students achieving at this level are approaching acceptable performance but need additional instructional opportunities to achieve proficiency.

These students:

• Demonstrate partial understanding of basic concepts and skills
• Make basic connections among ideas, providing limited supporting evidence for inferences and solutions
• Apply concepts and skills to routine problem-solving situations
• Communicate in a limited fashion

1-Beginning

Students that are achieving at the beginning level demonstrate a clear need for additional instructional opportunities to show learning. Students achieving at the beginning level indicate little or no understanding or display of the skills included in the Washington State standards.

These students:

• Demonstrate little understanding of the concepts and skills associated with the Washington State standards
• Occasionally make obvious connections among ideas, providing minimal evidence or support for inferences and solutions
• Have difficulty applying basic knowledge and skills
• Communicate in an ineffective manner

NG-No Evidence of Learning

Students who are showing no evidence of learning demonstrate a clear need for additional instructional opportunities and learning interventions after being offered numerous opportunities to learn. An NG is also assigned for assignments which are not attempted or completed.

Final Course Grades

A student's final grade will be calculated as an average of all summative assignment grades. However, a grade may be overridden with an NG if course requirements are not met. Course requirements are set by the teacher and will be provided to the student. Students must complete all course requirements by the end of the grading period to receive credit for a course.

Final grades follow a standard scale:

A final course grade of NG earns no credit for the course. Lost credits may be retrieved through summer school or other available programs.

GPA

PowerSchool will average the grades. Please be aware that averaging is a limited view of what students are able or not able to do. A student may, for example, have 4s on six standards and have 1s on two standards. The student's "average" tells us the student has a 3.25. This 3.25, however, does not paint a clear picture that the student is really struggling on two standards and really excelling on six of them. Averages do not tell us the whole story, but they are unavoidable at this time. A student's GPA will be determined by averaging the final course grades from each class.

Late Work

Late work at school, in college, and in the workforce is largely unacceptable. Students need to manage their time in a way that enables them to finish their best work on time. Therefore, assignments must be turned in on time in order to receive full credit. Late work MAY be accepted for partial credit at the discretion of the teacher, and is generally only accepted when there has been evidence of effort prior to the deadline on the part of the student.

"Effort" means:

• Coming prepared to class
• Completion of all assignments
• Quality use of class time
• Asking for help from the teacher, both in and outside of class
• Showing evidence of attempting and/or completing homework
• Showing a positive attitude toward the work

Late work will not be accepted after the end of the grading period except in cases of extenuating circumstances, as approved by individual teachers. In these rare cases, an "Incomplete" may be given as a final course grade. Incompletes are only valid for two weeks. If course requirements are not met within the two week period, the Incomplete will become an NG and no credit will be given for the course.