• Ligon Magnet Middle School

    Grading Plan

     

    Information

    Explanation

    Objective 

    The purpose of the Ligon Magnet Middle School grading policy is to ensure consistency in grading and school communication, to promote student participation in the learning process, and to measure student achievement through mastery of course content and skills. Grades will reflect progress and achievement toward the mastery of district and state standards for learning. 

    Grading Scale

    A = 90-100;  B = 89-80;  C = 79-70;  D = 69-60;  F = 59-0

    I = Incomplete;  P/F = Pass/Fail

    * The minimum grade a student can have at the end of the quarter is 50.  If a student has a grade below 50 the teacher of that course should increase their score to 50.

    Categories 

    The purpose of these categories is to provide practice and/or assess student learning skills as students work towards mastery of course objectives. In alignment with WCPSS Board Policy 3400, assignments provide opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of learning objectives and will not measure a student’s behavior. Accordingly, the Ligon Grading Plan defines assignments in three categories: practice, process, and product.


    ● Practice/Homework (Minor)  Assignments provide students an opportunity for independent practice of learning objectives without receiving a grade for accuracy. These assignments are based on completion. Per WCPSS Policy 3135, practice assignments will account for no more than 15% of a student’s quarter grade. 


    ● Process (Minor) Assignments allow students to show progress toward mastery and are graded for accuracy. These assignments serve to gather information about a student’s current level of performance before giving a product assignment. All process assignments must be returned with feedback before students complete a product assignment that measures proficiency of course learning objectives. 


    ● Product (Major) Assignments allow students to demonstrate mastery of course learning objectives and are graded for accuracy. These assignments are designed to measure proficiency on course learning objectives. 

    Grading Weights

    Major Assessment: 40% (Test/Multi-Day Projects) 

    Minor Assessment: 30%  (Quiz/Lab/Other) 

    Minor Grades: 20% (Independent/Group Work)

    Homework: 10%

     

    Teachers should have at least three major assessments, three minor assessments, three minor grades, and three homework assignments and no more than 30 grades each quarter. All teachers within a PLC should have the same major assessments and PLC members should have a similar number of assignments in the Minor Grades category.

    Extra Credit

    Extra Credit opportunities to enhance grades must be connected to learning outcomes and consistent within grade level/subject PLTs.

    Missed Work

    For absences of one to three corresponding days based on the A/B day that was missed, the student will have one day for each day absent specific to the A/B day that was missed. (Example: If a student misses class on an A day on a Monday they would need to turn in their work by the A Day on Friday of that week.)   For absences exceeding three days, the student may have two days for each day absent to make up work. Teachers should use discretion and may make exceptions in the case of students with excused absences that were not planned in advance, were beyond the student’s control, and/or are of a nature that would not support making up work the day of return.  There is no academic penalty for make-up work completed in the time frame stated above. All assignments are graded for full credit earned.

    Late Work

    (not due to absence or extenuating circumstances)

    Late work is defined as any work that was not turned in during the class period or by the specified time on the day it was due. Late work can be submitted until the school-wide Late Work Deadline which is one week after each P.S. reporting cycle which is listed below. Any work not submitted by these dates will remain a zero in the gradebook. (Late work that is turned in after the assigned due date will be graded at the teacher’s discretion.) 


    Assignments submitted late will receive an 11% deduction, leaving students with the maximum potential grade of 89%.

    Intervention 

    For students at risk of academic failure, our school provides a prevention/intervention system that promotes successful completion and mastery of work.  Ligon Teachers will implement a prevention system that provides students with additional time and support to be successful during each grading period. Ligon Teachers/Staff will reach out to families and document parent intervention contacts in ECATS. 


    Each semester this list of interventions will be reset and attempted again if they are needed. 


    1. Talking Points/Email - 3 total missed assignments

    2. Teacher Phone Conference with parents - 4 total missed assignments 

    3. Counselor Referral (Schedule Conference)  - 5 total missed assignments 


    This system will include opportunities for additional learning and assessment of learning to support student success; and it will include a systematic way for students to be re-assessed on their learning. 

    Grade Recovery

    Grade level/Content PLTs will develop systemic ways for students to be re-assessed on their learning to demonstrate mastery. PLTs will implement one/both of the following grade recovery options:


    a. Students are allowed to retest/re-assess with a new test that covers the same content.  The procedures for student grades are agreed upon by grade level/subject PLTs. 

    AND/OR

    b. Students are allowed to complete test/assessment corrections through a procedure agreed upon by PLTs as a tool for students to demonstrate their thinking around answering questions.


    Students scoring below 70% on any major assessment will have the opportunity to complete the PLT-selected grade recovery plan (as mentioned above). Students who are retaking the assessment can earn a maximum score of 70% after completing the grade recovery option. PLCs will determine the timeline for grade recovery completion.

    Communication

    Assignments should be put into PowerSchool with a due date once it is known or assigned. 


    Teachers must mark in PowerSchool that the assignment has either been collected or input a zero with the missing and/or late icon. 


    Teachers will provide students with regular feedback and will upload grades at a minimum of bi-monthly to PowerSchool. Grades are available online throughout the quarter and the upload dates are provided below.


    Quarter 1 

    Monday, September 16

    Monday, September 30

    Monday, October 14

    Monday, October 28 (final due date for Q1)


    Quarter 2 

    Tuesday, November 12

    Monday, November 25

    Monday, December 9

    Monday, December 23

    Monday, January 6

    Monday, January 20 (final due date for Q2)

    Quarter 3 

    Monday, February 3

    Tuesday, February 17

    Monday, March 3

    Monday, March 17  (final due date for Q3)

     

    Quarter 4 

    Monday, April 7

    Monday, April 24

    Monday, May 5

    Monday, May 19

    Monday, June 2 (final due date for Q4)


    Communication between teachers, parents, and students will be ongoing, using system-wide mechanisms for communication of student progress and grades.  Interims and report cards will be available quarterly and will either be distributed or electronically accessed based on district guidance.

    Interim Report Dates

    Q1 – September 23, 2024          Q2 – December 9, 2024

    Q3 – February 24, 2025            Q4 – May 12, 2025

    Report Card Dates

    Q1 -   November 8, 2024           Q2 - January 28, 2024

    Q3 -  April 15, 2025                    Q4 - June 15, 2025









    Ligon Honor Code

    Honor Code: Per WCPSS Board Policy 4310, “Academic honesty is essential to

    excellence in education....[and] each student, parent, family and staff member has a responsibility to promote a culture that respects and fosters integrity and honesty.”Students who cheat, plagiarize, falsify, or engage in academic deceit on academic assignments are in violation of the Honor Code policy. Accordingly, the following policy will be used to respond to violations of the Honor Code policy:

     

    ○ For violations of Policy 4309 I-11: Honor Code, the following will occur:

    • The teacher will talk with the student about the incident, counseling the student about why it is wrong and how to change her or his behavior;

    • The teacher will contact the student’s parent or guardian to discuss the Incident;

    • Students who are found in violation of the Honor Code policy on practice assignments (per the definition in the school’s grading policy) will receive a grade of 0, however they will be provided the opportunity to complete an alternative assignment with the highest possible grade being 60.

    • Students who are found in violation of the Honor Code policy on process or product assessments (per the definition in the school’s grading policy) will be expected to complete an alternative assessment determined by the Professional Learning Team (PLT). The student must complete the alternative assessment within one week (5 calendar school days) from the time the student is provided the alternate assessment. If a student fails to make-up the alternative assessment, the student will receive a grade of 0.

    • The submitted alternate assessment will be graded by the teacher at a standard consistent with the original work; however, the student will receive credit equivalent to no more than 60% of the original value of the work.

    • The teacher will write a discipline referral explaining the incident;

    • The administrator will assign the student the appropriate discipline consequence, and the discipline referral will remain on record.

    • For students with previous violations of the Honor Code, the administrator will review the student’s previous violations and determine appropriate grade and disciplinary consequences based on the number and severity of previous offenses; and  Per the WCPSS Honor Code policy, “Violations...may impact eligibility for school privileges including but not limited to athletic participation, honors, or awards. Further, this policy does not prevent consequences from being imposed by other organizations or regulations.”

     

    For violations of Policy 4309 II-1: Falsification or Deceit, the following will occur:

    All steps described above for violations of the Honor Code will be

    followed; and 

    • An administrator will assign the student a disciplinary consequence appropriate for violation of a Level II Code of Conduct rule, which may include suspension from school.