Penny Road Elementary

School Grading Plan 

In the Wake County Public School System, we are committed to maintaining rigorous performance and achievement standards for all students and to providing a fair and consistent process for evaluating and reporting student progress that is understandable to students and their parents and relevant for instructional purposes.

The information below shares specific information about grading at our school

The following are school-wide expectations for homework:

• Assign purposeful homework.  Legitimate purposes for homework include:
•  practicing a skill or process that students can do independently but not fluently
• elaborating on information that has been addressed in class to deepen students' knowledge
• providing opportunities for students to explore topics of their own interest.

The following are grade/subject-specific expectations for the completion and grading of homework and average completion times:

• Kindergarten- Reading for pleasure for at least 10 minutes nightly with parent
• First Grade- Choice boards will be sent home monthly. These boards will have engaging options for students so that they can choose learning activities that are most meaningful to them. Students will also read with parents for 40 minutes weekly.
• Second Grade- Choice boards will be sent home monthly. These boards will have engaging options for students so that they can choose learning activities that are most meaningful to them. Students will also read for fun for 50 minutes weekly.
• Third Grade-Students will complete a reading log and read for at least 60 minutes each week.  Math practice will be sent home based on individual student needs.
• Fourth Grade- Vocabulary choice boards will be sent home weekly. These boards will have engaging options for students so that they can choose learning activities that are most meaningful to them. Math practice will also be sent home based on individual student needs.  Students will also read for fun for 75 minutes weekly.
• Fifth Grade- Students will complete personalized research and projects, as well as study skill activities. These will all have set due dates.  Students will also read for fun for 100 minutes weekly.

Requests for assignments for an absent student must be received before noon on the day of the student’s absence.  Teachers will not be interrupted while teaching to produce student assignments.  The assignments will be available for pick up in the office the following morning.  Since hands-on learning, collaborative activities, and many projects can not be made up at home, learning packets may be used as make-up when necessary.  Special consideration will be given in the case of an extended absence due to injury or chronic illness. 

The following are grade/subject-specific expectations for the completion and grading of homework:

• Homework will be reviewed by the teacher to ensure students have an understanding of the material. Grades will not be taken on daily homework; however, completion of homework will be factored when reporting a student’s work habit grade.
• Homework that is part of a large project, can be a graded component of that project.
• Homework will not be given as punishment or behavior consequences.

The following are school-wide expectations for classwork and assessments:

• Be meaningful, rigorous and purposeful
• Connect and support appropriate grade-level standards
• Support 21st-century learning
• Support all lessons taught in the classroom
• Be differentiated based on student performance and progress toward standards

The following are grade/subject-specific expectations for the completion and grading of classwork and assessments:

• All classwork and assessment are to be completed by the student as assigned by the teacher. If extended time is needed to complete classwork or assessments, the teacher will make a decision as to the appropriate accommodation. Timeframes for completion will not be adjusted if the student chooses to not complete them.
• If a pattern exists that a student does not complete their work or assessments in the specified time frame, a team of school staff members will meet to discuss the next appropriate steps to best meet the needs of the student.

Penny Road Elementary will adhere to WCPSS Board Policy 5520 and 5520 R&P.

In grades K-5, report cards are issued to students each quarter.  Interim reports are issued to all students at the mid-point of each quarter. 

In grades, K-5 students are evaluated on a standards-based grading scale.  The student performance levels of 1-4 indicate whether students have met the expectations set by the state in the Standard Course of Study.  Student performance levels are defined as follows:

*       Level 4 – Exemplary

*       Level 3 – Proficient

*       Level 2 – Approaching Proficiency

*       Level 1 – Non-Proficient

Grades are provided twice a year for Weekly Special Electives (Art, Music, PE, and Media), instead of quarterly.

Classroom behaviors are reported separately.  In Kindergarten classroom behaviors are separated into two categories, personal/social development, and work habits.  In grades 1-5 the behaviors are separated into work habits and conduct.   Each behavior is rated according to the following scale:

*       3 – meets expectations

*       2 – inconsistently meets expectations

*       1 – does not meet expectations 

The following are school-wide expectations for missed work:

• If the absence is approved in advance and/or if the work is assigned by the teacher in advance, all make-up work, including tests assigned for the day of return, is due upon the student's return to school. Teachers should use discretion and may make exceptions in the case of students whose excused absences were not planned in advance, were beyond the student' control, and the nature of which would not support make-up work the day of return
• If the make-up work has not been assigned in advance, for absences of one (1) to three (3) days, the student will have one day for each day absent. For absences exceeding three (3) days, the student may have two (2) days for each day absent to make up work.  Special consideration will be given in the case of extended absences due to injury or chronic illness.

For students at risk of academic failure, our school seeks to provide a prevention/intervention system that promotes successful completion and mastery of work.  Details of our plan are below.

The following are school-wide expectations for how we support prevention-intervention efforts:

• All K-5 students participate in a 30 minute daily differentiated instructional block called Boost (30 minutes for language arts and/or math). Students are grouped based on their progress toward specific skills or standards. During this time, instruction in small groups could be an extension of the curriculum, maintaining or practice of a skill or standard, or specific, direct instruction on the skill/standard.
• All teachers are responsible for providing differentiated core instruction for all students. Most intervention is provided within the classroom but due to the needs of some students, it may be offered in a pull-out format.

Penny Road has a multi-tiered system of support. 

Tier 1- Classroom Core Instruction

• All students will participate in classroom learning and assessment based on the learning standards
• Grade levels will use research-based best practices including Balanced Literacy components and structures
• Grade levels will use a variety of instruction that is differentiated where students are able to learn the whole group, small group and/or collaboratively
• Grade level teams will use common assessments and a team-based problem-solving approach to student data analysis

Tier 2A – Needs-Based Classroom and Grade Level Interventions

• Grade level teams will recommend student interventions through their grade-level team
• Small group intervention, tailored to specific student needs through grade-level intervention, enrichment, and flexible grouping
• Classroom instruction with support based on performance data
• Structured behavioral observations and interventions as needed
• PLT (teacher team) may involve academic coaches to assist in addressing student needs
• Progress Monitor students receiving intense interventions
• After discussion and analyzing student performance data, PLT will determine whether the student should be at Tier 2A or Tier 2. Students who are in Tier 2A will have school paperwork to document interventions and progress.

Tier 2– Classroom Intervention + Progress Monitoring + TIER 2 Plan

• Students who are not meeting grade-level standards/benchmarks may have a plan developed at the end of a quarter or as needed. A team of individuals (i.e.- classroom teacher, administrator, intervention teacher, parent) will create the plan and will meet to review it on a continual basis.
• Systematic and explicit interventions provided and monitored through KID TALK, a function of grade level PLT, to analyze Digging Deeper Assessments to determine the student’s most foundational area of need
• Interventions provided and progress monitored weekly using mClass or other tools.
• Decide on next steps:
  • If making progress with current intervention, continue with intervention and progress monitoring
  • If after multiple progress monitoring probes, growth is not made, adjust one intervention variable, and continue to progress monitor.
  • If after 2 different interventions have been in place, complete TIER 3 Referral with the grade level Case Manager.

Tier 3 – School-Wide Intervention Team

• If after documenting at least 2 interventions with progress monitoring for each academic/behavior area of concern, and it is documented in a TIER 2 plan, the Case Manager will make a referral to the Tier 3 team.
• The Tier 3 team will review Tier 2 data and cooperatively decide on a Tier 3 intervention to teach and progress monitor.
• If all interventions have been tried at the Tier 2 level or if no progress is made with the Tier 3 level of interventions, the team will recommend a formal evaluation.

Extra credit is offered at the professional learning team’s discretion.  Where it is offered, extra credit opportunities to enhance grades must be connected to learning outcomes and consistent within PLTs. Level 4 opportunities are offered to students multiple times each quarter in every subject area in order for students to demonstrate their thinking and learning beyond mastery.