High School Years

In order to implement more fair and equitable grading practices, it is critical to establish some shared beliefs.

Grades should reflect what students know and can do. Grades should reflect learning, not behavior.

Grades will reflect a student’s knowledge and skills according to state standards. Grades will not reflect behaviors. For example, students cannot earn extra credit for bringing tissue boxes or other supplies. If a student earns a B in math at one school, it should represent the same skills and understanding as a student who earns a B in another school. This belief ensures that students cannot earn credit by complying with instructions or doing extra credit and that they will be prepared for future academic classes.

We believe that certain student behaviors are directly related to learning. For example, a student’s attendance is essential to their success. If a student has poor attendance, they will likely also have a poor understanding of the material. Attendance may cause a student’s poor grades, but the grade itself only represents what a student knows and can do. 

Grades should support a growth mindset and students should be given multiple opportunities to show learning. 

Our students are unique; everyone starts the year with different experiences and background knowledge. Not all students learn at the same pace within a class, and everyone needs extra support at some point during the school year. Students should be assessed multiple times to show their learning so we have an accurate measurement of their understanding. Schools will have fair and consistent late work and retake policies. Students should be able to demonstrate their knowledge without being punished for needing more time. This will help hold students accountable for completing their work and eliminate the excuse of skipping an assignment because it’s past the due date. Your student’s school will determine the timeframe for late work and retakes.

Grades should be understandable and based on rubrics that show students how to improve.

Students should know what they will learn, the level of understanding they need to achieve, and how they will be graded on the first day of a unit. Teachers can give this information to students by using a rubric. A rubric describes what a student needs to learn and distinguishes what a student needs to know or do for an A, B, C, etc. A rubric is a tool for teachers to provide feedback to students as they learn, so students know what they need to do to improve. Rubrics focus grades on what a student understands, help students track their progress, and better prepare students for post-secondary opportunities.

There is a spectrum of grading policies and practices in today’s schools. Some traditional grading policies date back hundreds of years, while more modern standards-based practices have started to take hold over the last 20 years. After examining our grading practices in SPPS, we discovered that our teachers and schools generally fall into one of 3 categories. While we are making some changes to grading policies to ensure consistency across the district, our goal is to meet teachers where they are on the grading spectrum and support them to move towards more fair and equitable grading practices. This process will involve teachers moving through 3 stages over the next several years to ensure that teachers are supported and can thoughtfully change their practices. As teachers move through the 3 stages, students should not feel dramatic changes in their classes. Students should expect to have a greater understanding of how they are graded and how they can improve their grades early in a unit of study.

In the 2023-2024 school year, SPPS high schools will align certain grading practices. This will create more equitable grading systems and more consistency for students.

1: All schools will use the same grading scale. *OWL will continue to use their current grading scale.

Notes

• Advisory is graded on a Pass/No Pass scale.

• All IEP or 504 plans that indicate a modified grading scale will be honored.

2: All schools will calculate grades using the same formula.

A student’s overall grade will be calculated based on summative and formative assessments. Summative assessments will represent 80% of a student’s grade, and formative assessments will represent 20%. A formative assessment is when students practice during a lesson and get feedback from their teacher. A summative assessment is a test, project, paper, etc., where students showcase what they know and can do. One way to think about summative and formative assessments is to use an analogy to sports: formative assessments are scrimmages, and summative assessments are games.

3: Teachers will assess summative assessments using rubrics.

All summative assessments should be graded using a rubric. A rubric helps provide clear expectations for students and is a tool for teachers to provide feedback. Most rubrics include four levels of understanding: Beginning, Developing, Proficient, and Exemplary. Our IB schools use 8-point rubrics per IB curriculum. After a student is assessed on a rubric, their score is translated into the gradebook using the conversion below:

4: Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency within an agreed-upon time frame determined at the school level. 

This means that students can retake/revise summative assessments to show improvement. Students will not be penalized for doing a retake/revision as long as it is within the time frame determined by their school’s staff. Please refer to your school’s grading policy for specifics on the reassessment time frame.

5: Students will not be penalized for handing in work after the due date within an agreed-upon time frame determined at the school level. 

This means that students will still earn full credit for late work if it is turned in within the time frame determined by their school’s staff. We believe students should be accountable for completing all of their work. If a student misses a due date, they are not let off the hook; they are still responsible for completing that assignment. Please refer to your school’s grading policy for specifics on the time frame for late work.

How will high school grading practices change?

• Educators will use a common grading scale across all SPPS high schools.
• Grades lower than “D-” will be noted on report cards as No Pass (“N”) and count toward students’ GPAs. This is a change from the past two years where non-passing grades have not affected students’ overall GPAs.
• Educators will provide clear expectations on how students will be assessed at the beginning of a unit or course.
• Students will continue to be held accountable for their learning with multiple opportunities to show progress and understanding of the content.
• Educators will have consistent practices on retaking homework and tests.

What will not change?

• Assessments will continue to align with Minnesota state standards.
• AP, PSEO and IB classes will continue to align with national and international curriculum.
• Report cards will still report letter grades and transcripts will still include a GPA.
• Honor rolls, academic honors and class rank will not change.

Why are grading practices changing?

• Current grading practices are varied across our high schools. SPPS is changing several grading practices to ensure students are assessed and graded using consistent and equitable practices and policies at every high school.

How do these changes better serve our students?

• Using consistent grading practices across SPPS high schools will allow all high school students to better understand what they need to do to be successful in class and be more aware of their skills and understanding of content.

What does it mean to use a common grading scale across all high schools?

• The same criteria will be used to calculate letter grades (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, N) in every class across all high schools. A common grading scale ensures students experience consistent grading across all classes and grades reflect students’ understanding of content.

Why will non-passing grades now affect students’ GPAs?

• Starting in school year 2023-24, grades lower than “D-” will be noted on report cards as “N” and affect students’ GPAs. This is a change from the past two years where non-passing grades have not affected students’ overall GPA. Non-passing grades earn 0 credits and are calculated into students’ overall GPAs. This shift will more accurately reflect student progress on school transcripts to support post-secondary planning. Specific exceptions can still be made, as has been done in the past, such as a student being hospitalized for an extended period.

How does this prepare my student for college or career opportunities?

• Changes to grading practices will not change the content students learn. The new grading practices focus on students’ learning, growth and independence. Students will be held accountable for their learning with multiple opportunities to show progress and understanding of the content.

How will students have opportunities to show an improved understanding of content?

• Students will have consistent experiences with retaking assessments, regardless of teacher, course or school. Students will have multiple opportunities to retake homework or tests to demonstrate improved proficiency within a timeframe determined by the school.

How will I check my student’s grades?

• Parents can continue to use Schoology to check their student’s grades throughout the school year.

How will changes to grading practices affect students who are English Learners (ELs)? 

• Students who are English Learners (ELs) will continue to be assessed on their content knowledge separately from their language skills.

How will changes to grading practices affect students who receive special education services?

• Students who receive special education services will continue to receive differentiated and modified curriculum and learning targets to fit their identified Individualized Education Program (IEP) needs.

Information & Resources for Staff