Grade Values for Annual and Semester Courses for Secondary Schools
The procedures for calculating grades for students in grades 6-12 have changed with the elimination of final and midterm examinations. For annual courses, each nine-week grading period will have a 25% value (weight) and for semester courses each nine-week grading period will have a 50% value (weight). Teachers may administer an assessment at the end of each nine-week grading period. The assessment may not exceed 5% of the nine-week grade for annual courses or 10% of the nine-week grade for semester courses. The provision for teacher override is applicable to both semester and annual courses.
Academic grades for students are based on a 4 point scale. Grade points will be determined for annual courses by multiplying each nine-week grade by 2.5, adding the grades for the four nine-weeks, and dividing this sum by 10. For semester courses, grade points are determined by multiplying each nine week grade by 5, adding the two-nine week grades, and dividing this sum by 10. This will determine how students earn points when applying the rule of earning 10 grade points to pass a course for grades 6-12. For students in grades 9-12, five points (“five point rule”) must be earned in the second semester to pass an annual course. For students in grades 6-8, the “five point rule” does not apply.