WCPS Student Handbook 2024-2025

Wicomico County Board of Education Approval Status Index Code Title: Grading, Promotion, and Retention Systems Procedure INS-SCH-PR-007 First Adopted: 07/10/90 Legal Review: 06/25/24 07/19/21 04/18/17 Approved Revisions: 07/09/24 10/10/23 07/13/22 07/20/21 08/28/19 05/09/17 04/11/95 02/09/93 Effective: 07/10/24 10/11/23 07/14/22 07/21/21 08/28/19 05/10/17 09/04/90 02/10/93 04/12/95 Page 1 of 22 WICOMICO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION P.O. BOX 1538 2424 NORTHGATE DRIVE., SUITE 3, SALISBURY, MD 21802-1538 INS-SCH-PR-007 Grading, Promotion, and Retention Systems Procedure 1 I. Purpose 2 The purpose of this procedure is to provide direction to all Wicomico County Public Schools 3 (WCPS) instructional staff regarding the proper steps necessary to assess, grade, retain and 4 promote WCPS students. 5 6 II. Grading Overview 7 A. Grades and promotion/retention decisions are to include both formative and summative 8 assignments that are evaluated on factors such as completeness, accuracy, achievement, 9 improvement, and capability of the student as assessed through the professional judgment of 10 the teacher and principal. 11 B. Letter grades will be used on all report cards and transcripts. Additionally, designations of 12 “O” or “S” or “U” as defined in this procedure, as well as other terms appropriate to non- 13 graded programs will be used to indicate student progress. 14 C. While it may be difficult to establish exactly the quality of a letter grade or a decision to 15 promote or retain a student, there must be reasonable justification for the decision reached. 16 There must be a written record which establishes how the teacher/principal arrived at the 17 decision. 18 D. While grading is not to be used as a disciplinary tool for non-instructionally related offences, 19 students who meet or exceed 5 days of unlawful absences within a marking term must 20 participate in an attendance intervention program or risk failing grades for the entire marking 21 term. Please see SFS-GEN-PR-019, Student Attendance Procedure for more information. 22 E. Teachers or parents can appeal grade changes to the school principal. If unsatisfied with the 23 principal's decision, they can escalate the appeal to the Director of Elementary Education or 24 the Director of Secondary Education. 25 F. In the event a report card grade requires a grade change, the following steps must be taken. 26 a. Requests for report card grade change must be submitted electronically (X2/Aspen), 27 along with required supporting documentation by the teacher of record. 28 b. The principal will review the request and make the following determination: 29 i. Approved – The grade will be changed by the School Principal or designee 30 ii. Rejected – The teacher/parent may appeal to the Director of 31 Elementary/Secondary Education 32 iii. Pending more information – The school principal may request more 33 information from the teacher. 34 c. The school principal may initiate a report card grade change in absence of a request by 35 the teacher of record. All report card changes must be accompanied by documentation 36 and justification that supports the change. 37 d. All report card changes must be made within 30 business days of the request. 38

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