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Disd Grading Policy

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Dallas ISD

057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

Grading Policy and Grading regulations are developed to clarify and ensure adherence
Theory of Action to Board-approved grading policies [see EIA(LEGAL) and
EIA(LOCAL)] and to transmit the District’s theory of action about
teaching and learning into grading practices across all classrooms
and schools. Grading should be both formative and summative in
nature.
To ensure compliance with Board policy, these guidelines should
be reviewed in conjunction with Board policy EIA(LOCAL). These
guidelines are intended to clarify Board policies, not to duplicate all
policy requirements.
Grading Purposes Grades should reflect adherence to the purposes for grading out-
lined in policy EIA(LOCAL) including equity and access to rigorous
learning, communication, motivation, instructional decision making,
and documentation of learning.
Accountability for The accuracy, equity, and quality of grades as a measure of stu-
Accuracy, Equity, dent learning are directly dependent on the quality of instruction
and Quality of provided, the alignment of student learning tasks to the content
Grades and pacing of the District’s curriculum, and the quality and rigor of
the student work that is used to determine grades.
Students Enrolled in A student enrolled in extracurricular activities must meet the No
Extracurricular Pass/No Play requirements for eligibility to participate. A student
Activities must receive a grade of 70 or better in any course for eligibility
purposes.
According to 19 Administrative Code 74.30, students enrolled in
identified honors courses including Advanced Placement (AP), In-
ternational Baccalaureate (IB), and dual credit will be eligible for
exemption from the state's No Pass, No Play policy [see
FM(LEGAL)]. Additionally, local school districts are authorized to
identify and approve a listing of such honors courses and set the
exemption standard students must meet to retain UIL eligibility. A
student who earns a grade of 60 and above at the end of an evalu-
ation period in the courses listed and identified as honors may
maintain UIL eligibility. A student who earns a grade below 60 may
retain UIL eligibility only if he or she meets the following standards:
1. There are no disciplinary concerns.
2. The student does not have multiple zeroes in an advanced
course.
3. The student has made a “good faith” effort to earn a passing
grade in an honors course.
4. The student completes an eligibility waiver application and
receives approval from the compliance director.

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

Eligibility waiver applications will only be considered for honors


courses from the District-approved list in which the student earned
a grade below 60. Principals may consider the eligibility waiver ap-
plication before submitting the application for approval by the
Compliance Office. Submitting an eligibility waiver application must
be the last resort for a student. All academic achievement efforts
prior to the end of the grading period should be exhausted before
an eligibility waiver application is submitted (retest, makeup work,
tutoring, and the like). A student participating in extracurricular ac-
tivities who enrolls in honors courses will be expected to stay in
honors courses for the duration of the school year.
Grade / Department / Teachers will develop and consistently implement common grade-
Campus Grading level or department grading procedures in compliance with this
Procedures regulation and will communicate the common grading procedures
to parents and students in writing as directed by the campus prin-
cipal. Campus principals will approve grading procedures to ensure
compliance with Board policies and regulations related to grading.
Principals will develop procedures to communicate the campus
grading practices and will report student learning progress to all
parents, campus instructional staff, sponsors of extracurricular ac-
tivities, and the Learning Community Executive Director.
Guidelines for In compliance with grading policy EIA(LOCAL), grade-level/cluster
Determining Six- guidelines for grading will be implemented across all classrooms,
Week and Semester grade levels, and schools in prekindergarten–grade 12. Prekinder-
Grades garten–grade 12 guidelines will apply to all teachers and students
and additional grading requirements specific to grade clusters in
prekindergarten–grades 1, 2–5, 6–8, and 9–12 will apply. Grades
are issued six times per year, which generally conforms to a six-
week schedule unless the school calendar varies. The term “six-
week” will be used in this regulation to refer to the six grading peri-
ods.
Grade Errors and Errors in students’ grades must be corrected within ten days after
Corrections: the grading period ends. Corrections of grade errors will be based
Pre-K–Grade 12 on teacher grade book records. Corrections will be made only on a
designated form with the teacher’s and principal’s signature and
date to verify the change. Copies will be distributed to the Data
Controller and Counselors.
Pre-K–Grade 1 To ensure compliance with Board policy, these guidelines should
Grading Guidelines be reviewed in conjunction with Board policy EIA(LOCAL). These
guidelines are intended to clarify Board policies, not to duplicate all
policy requirements.
Reporting Learning Grading of student work should be based on District-required
Standards Mastery learning standards and provide clear expectations for mastery that

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

are communicated to students so that they understand the learning


expectations. Criteria for grading should be clearly communicated
to parents and displayed in the classroom. Grades in core content
areas should be derived from group and independent student
classwork and should be both formative and summative assess-
ments.
Report cards are to be issued every six weeks, and grades will be
recorded and communicated using District-approved reporting
forms and/or software programs.
Report cards for prekindergarten–grade 1 will indicate progress
toward mastery of student learning standards by content area us-
ing the letter grades of E for Excellent/Consistent Progress, S for
Satisfactory Progress, and N for Needs Improvement/Additional
Time for Learning. For areas identified as Needs Improvement,
narrative comments will be provided to indicate targets for growth
and to request a parent conference.
In prekindergarten, grades for art, music, and physical education
are to be assigned by specialists for full-day students only. In kin-
dergarten–grade 1, art, music, and physical education teachers will
assign grades in their content area for each grading period of the
school year. Art, music, and physical education teachers will not be
required to tutor students in foundation subjects during regularly
scheduled enrichment classes.
Three-Week Progress reports are issued by the teacher every three weeks if a
Progress Reports student’s performance in any subject is not deemed satisfactory,
and will be recorded and communicated using District-approved
reporting forms and/or software programs. Teachers will have the
option, and are encouraged, to issue progress reports to all stu-
dents to communicate standards mastery and provide specific
feedback about effort exhibited by the student in his or her learn-
ing.
Homework Homework should be used to reinforce and support mastery of
learning, engage parents in the learning process, and when appro-
priate and possible, should be differentiated for students depending
on their mastery of the objectives.
In prekindergarten–grade 1, grades from homework assignments
may not be recorded in the grade book or used in the calculation of
six-week grades, but teachers may assign homework that is en-
gaging and reinforces classroom learning. Feedback should be
provided regarding any assignment sent home for completion.
Homework should be based only on content standards previously
taught, assigned, and completed during the same instructional

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

week at a level of difficulty that can be completed independently by


students.
Retesting A student will be permitted to retake any major test that she or he
has failed within five school days of the date the failing grade was
received and no later than ten days of the date of the test. The re-
testing policy will not apply to an Assessment of Course Perfor-
mance (ACP), which are given to students in kindergarten and
grade 1.
Grade Weights In prekindergarten–grade 1, the reported six-week grade for each
content area will be weighted at 50 percent for classwork and 50
percent for assessments. Unless otherwise indicated on the report
card, only one overall grade per grading period will be entered for
art, music, physical education, and theater arts. Criteria for grading
in these subjects will be based primarily on classwork.
Guidelines for Test-prep practice for norm-referenced assessments, such as the
Standardized Test ITBS or Logramos, or other standardized assessment is not ap-
Prep / Remediation propriate in prekindergarten–grade 1 and should not be practiced.
Grades 2–5 To ensure compliance with Board policy, these guidelines should
Grading Guidelines be reviewed in conjunction with Board policy EIA(LOCAL). These
guidelines are intended to clarify Board policies, not to duplicate all
policy requirements.
Reporting Learning Report cards are issued every six-week grading period, and grades
Standards Mastery will be recorded and communicated for all foundation and enrich-
ment subjects using District-approved reporting forms and/or soft-
ware programs. Grading of student work should be based on state-
and District-required learning standards and should provide clear
expectations for mastery that are communicated to and/or co-
constructed with students. Criteria for grading should be clearly
communicated to parents and displayed in the classroom.
Numerical grades should be derived from the following:
 Group and independent student classwork and homework as
outlined below;
 Formative and summative assessments; and/or
 Project-based learning.
Art, music, and physical education teachers will assign grades in
their content area for each grading period of the school year and
will not be required to tutor students in foundation subjects during
the regularly scheduled enrichment classes.

DATE ISSUED: 2/9/2018 4 of 18


LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

Three-Week Progress reports are issued by the teacher every three weeks if a
Progress Reporting student’s performance in any subject or class is below 70 or whose
average is deemed borderline according to District guidelines and
will be recorded and communicated using District-approved report-
ing forms and/or software programs. Teachers will have the option,
and are encouraged, to issue progress reports to all students to
communicate standards mastery and to provide specific feedback
about effort exhibited by the student in his or her learning.
Determining Classwork should be rigorous and standards-based and should
Classwork Grades document cumulative mastery of content area concepts. Expecta-
tions for grading classwork should be clearly communicated to stu-
dents and posted in the classroom. Mastery criteria for projects or
other assignments that are used to evaluate multiple concepts
should be clearly communicated to students, using tools such as
rubrics or criteria charts.
Teachers may assign no less than one classwork grade per week
per subject or a minimum of six grades per subject per six weeks.
Projects may assess multiple learning standards and therefore,
more than one grade may be recorded for a project (based on the
scoring rubric).
Determining Homework can help families become more involved with the edu-
Homework Grades cational process, communicate high expectations for students, and
help students develop self-discipline and organizational skills.
Homework should be based only on content standards previously
taught and at a level of difficulty that can be completed inde-
pendently by students. In grades 2–5, grades from homework as-
signments will be counted only if they improve the student grade
average, but feedback should always be provided on homework.
Students may be assigned no more than one hour per night of
homework or no more than five hours per week for all grade-level
subjects/teachers combined. Departmentalized teachers should
collaborate to determine homework assignments that meet this ex-
pectation. Student/parent reading time is not included in the
homework time limit.
Test and / or Project Teachers should use a variety of assessment methods such as unit
Grades tests, project evaluation, six-week tests, and the like. There should
be no fewer than two and no more than four test/major project
grades per six weeks in each core subject area. Rubrics used for
grading projects will reflect mastery of identified content learning
standards.
Students must take the ACP if it is offered in the course. The ACP
is considered a part of the course. Only students with appropriate
documentations (such as ARD or 504 documentation) may be ex-

DATE ISSUED: 2/9/2018 5 of 18


LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

empted from the ACP. ACPs are given as is and may not be modi-
fied. In cases of testing irregularity, the school will work with Evalu-
ation and Assessment to determine appropriate grading for stu-
dents in grades 3–5.
Retesting To ensure that test grades reflect content mastery, a student will be
permitted to retake any major test that he or she has failed within
five school days of the date the failing grade was received or no
later than ten days of the date of the test. If the test is passed on
the second attempt, the failing grade will be removed from the
grade book, and the passing grade will be recorded, with the fol-
lowing exception. When student behavior or actions clearly
demonstrate that a major test was failed due to lack of effort or in-
appropriate behavior, a teacher, with the principal’s approval, may
assess a grade penalty. The grade penalty will be either the aver-
age of the two tests or a 70 (if either the average or the second at-
tempt is above 70). The grade given a student failing the test for
the second time will be the higher score earned on either test. The
retesting policy will not apply to ACPs.
Grade 3–5 students with an unexcused absence during ACP test-
ing must make up a missed ACP examination within the first ten
days during which the campuses are open following the end of the
original testing window. These tests will be offered at the campus.
Students who fail to make up the examination during this time will
receive an examination grade of zero.
Students with an excused absence during ACP testing must make
up a missed ACP examination within the first ten days during which
the campuses are open following the end of the original testing
window. These tests will be offered at the campus. If a student with
an excused absence is out for an extended time and has contacted
the school, the student may make up the examination by the end of
the grading period in which the student returns to school. For these
students, the school will arrange testing sessions through the Dis-
trict’s testing department. Students who fail to make up the exami-
nation within the allotted time frame will receive an examination
grade of zero.
Makeup Work and Students will be permitted to make up assignments and tests with-
Incomplete Grades out grade penalty after an absence. Giving zeros as a grade is not
Related to an a best practice, and, therefore, a zero can be recorded only after a
Absence parent call/notification has been made and the student has been
given two days for every day missed or two days after parent noti-
fication to complete the assignments or tests. An incomplete (I)
grade on the six-week report card will be recorded if the makeup
time has not elapsed prior to the end of the six-week period.

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

An incomplete for a six-week grade should be made up prior to the


end of the semester. An incomplete for a six-week grade that is not
made up by the end of the semester will be recorded as the actual
grade average earned. Semester grades of incomplete must be
reviewed by the school’s attendance committee or grade place-
ment committee. The campus committee will determine the method
for students to remediate the incomplete grade.
Late Work Not Students must be given at least one opportunity to submit late work
Related to an not related to an absence. Grade penalties and the amount of time
Absence allowed to complete the assignment should be determined by
grade-level/department teacher teams and approved by the princi-
pal. Teachers will develop and consistently implement common
grade-level or department grading procedures for late work in
compliance with this regulation and will communicate the common
grading procedures to parents and students in writing as directed
by the campus principal.
Grade Weights Grades will be weighted as follows:

Classwork/Homework* 50 percent (homework grades


recorded if they improve grade
average)
Tests 20 percent grade weight
Projects/Products 20 percent grade weight (example:
composition, research paper,
presentation, report)
Six-week test grade 10 percent grade weight

Art, music, and physical education teachers will assign grades for
the subjects they are assigned, and criteria for grading in these
subjects will be based primarily on classwork.
Semester Grades The three six-week grades will be averaged to determine the se-
mester grade for grade 2.
In grades 3–5, for courses in which an ACP is developed, the ACP
will account for five percent of the semester grade, and the three
six-week grades will be averaged to account for the remaining 95
percent of the semester grade. ACPs being administered for the
first year will not be included. For other grade 3–5 courses, the
three six-week grades will be averaged to determine the semester
grade.

DATE ISSUED: 2/9/2018 7 of 18


LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

High Class / Grade Teachers with a six-week and/or semester failure rate of greater
Level / School than ten percent in any subject area will be required to develop and
Failure Rates submit an intervention support plan for struggling students that will
be monitored by the principal or designee.
Schools with a six-week and/or semester failure rate of greater
than ten percent in any grade/subject will be required to develop
and submit an intervention support plan for struggling students that
will be monitored by the executive director of the learning commu-
nity.
Continued school failure rates resulting in greater than five percent
retention of students in any grade level may result in additional re-
quired interventions/supports/consequences.
Teachers should be prepared to provide an update to the campus
principal for students whose grade averages are on the pass/fail
borderline of 68–69, including strategies for academic supports for
the next six weeks.
Guidelines for Test genre practice for standardized state assessments may be a
Standardized Test- part of the preparation process for students but should not take the
Prep / Remediation place of rigorous instruction or more open-ended performance-
based assessments. Therefore, the following must be followed re-
garding the use of test-prep materials:
1. Test-prep formatted questions can be used as test format
models after more rigorous assessments, which should reflect
higher-level thinking.
2. Supplemental test-prep materials can be used but should be
limited to students who are in need of intervention in a par-
ticular subject area rather than as a general practice for all
students.
3. Students should be placed in tiered intervention programs
based upon their learning needs, which requires scheduling of
interventions during the school day.
4. Students should not be removed from any required core or
enrichment Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)-
based instruction for the purpose of test prepara-
tion/remediation. Short-term focused intervention tutorials
may be scheduled in the three weeks prior to the state-
mandated assessment but should not remove students from
other required instruction without the approval of the campus
principal.
5. Parents must be notified if students are removed from any
core or enrichment TEKS-based course or classroom for test

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

preparation, and grades for the missed course/class must re-


flect student absence from instruction.
Grades 6–8 Report cards are issued every six-week grading period, and grades
Grading Guidelines will be recorded and communicated using District-approved report-
Reporting Learning ing forms and/or software programs. Grading of student work
Standards Mastery should be based on state- and District-required learning standards
and should provide clear expectations for mastery that are com-
municated to and/or co-constructed with students.
Grades will not be entered, nor credit awarded, for subjects from
which students have been pulled for instruction in another subject
during a grading period. If a student is assigned to an academic
intervention class, that student must be moved to the roster for that
intervention class. For required coursework, such moves may only
be made at the end of a semester so that students can receive
credit for required coursework. For other courses, such moves may
be made at the end of a six-week grading period.
Three-Week Progress reports are issued by the teacher every three weeks if a
Progress Report student’s performance in any subject or class is below 70 or whose
Forms average is deemed borderline according to District guidelines and
will be recorded and communicated using District-approved report-
ing forms and/or software programs. Teachers are encouraged to
issue progress reports to all students to communicate standards
mastery and provide specific feedback about effort exhibited by the
student in his or her learning.
Determining Classwork should be rigorous and standards-based and should
Classwork Grades document cumulative mastery of content area concepts. Expecta-
tions for grading classwork should be clearly communicated to stu-
dents. Mastery criteria for projects or other assignments that are
used to evaluate multiple concepts should be clearly communicat-
ed to students using tools such as rubrics or criteria charts.
Determining Homework is based on learning standards that have previously
Homework Grades been taught in class that must be completed outside the regular
school day and not during the regular class period. Homework can
help families become more involved with the educational process,
communicate high expectations for students, and help students
develop self-discipline and organizational skills. All homework as-
signments must be designed as a meaningful part of the educa-
tional process and be reviewed by the teacher. Feedback should
be provided within 48 hours of the submission of the assignment or
as soon as reasonably possible given the rigor of the assignment.
Feedback is defined as written comments, peer review, confer-
ence, grades, and the like.

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

Homework assignments may or may not be awarded a grade at


the teacher’s discretion. When recording grades, primary consider-
ation should be given to recording homework grades that raise a
student’s average, not lower it.
Students may be assigned no more than one and one-half hours
per night or no more than seven hours per week for all grade-level
subjects/teachers combined. Department heads/CILT teachers
should collaborate to determine homework assignments that meet
this expectation.
Makeup Work and Students will be permitted to make up assignments and tests with-
Incomplete Grades out grade penalty after an absence. Students will be given at least
Related to an two school days for every day missed to complete the assignments
Absence or tests missed after an absence. An incomplete (I) grade on the
six-week report card may be recorded if the allotted period has not
elapsed prior to the end of the six-week grading period. An incom-
plete for a six-week grade must be made up within ten school
days, or the actual grade average earned will be recorded. Princi-
pals must be notified when an incomplete is assigned.
Semester grades of incomplete must be reviewed by the school’s
attendance committee or grade placement committee. The campus
committee will determine the method for students to remediate the
incomplete grade.
Late Work Not Students must be given at least one opportunity to submit late work
Related to an not related to an absence. Grade penalties and the amount of time
Absence allowed to complete the assignment should be determined by
grade-level/department teacher teams and approved by the princi-
pal. Teachers will develop and consistently implement common
grade-level or department grading procedures for late work in
compliance with this regulation and will communicate the common
grading procedures to parents and students in writing as directed
by the campus principal.
Giving zeros as a grade for late work is not a best practice, and,
therefore, it is recommended that a parent call/notification be made
prior to recording a grade of zero (especially for students for whom
the zero will likely result in a failing grade). Efforts should be made
to assist students in completing missed work.
Retesting To ensure that test grades reflect content mastery, a student will be
permitted to retake any major test that he or she has failed within
five school days of the date the failing grade was received or no
later than ten days of the date of the test. If the test is passed on
the second attempt, the failing grade will be removed from the
grade book, and the passing grade will be recorded, with the fol-
lowing exception. When student behavior or actions clearly

DATE ISSUED: 2/9/2018 10 of 18


LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

demonstrate that a major test was failed due to lack of effort or in-
appropriate behavior, a teacher, with the principal’s approval, may
assess a grade penalty. The grade penalty will be either the aver-
age of the two tests or a 70 (if either the average or the second at-
tempt is above 70). The grade given a student failing the test for
the second time will be the higher score earned on either test. The
retesting policy will not apply to ACPs.
Grade 6–8 students with an unexcused absence during ACP test-
ing must make up a missed ACP examination within the first ten
days during which the campuses are open following the end of the
original testing window. These tests will be offered at the campus.
Students who fail to make up the examination during this time will
receive an examination grade of zero.
Students with an excused absence during ACP testing must make
up a missed ACP examination within the first ten days during which
the campuses are open following the end of the original testing
window. These tests will be offered at the campus. If a student
with an excused absence is out for an extended time and has con-
tacted the school, the student may make up the examination by the
end of the grading period in which the student returns to school.
For these students, the school will arrange testing sessions
through the District’s testing department. Students who fail to
make up the examination within the allotted time frame will receive
an examination grade of zero.
Test and / or Project Teachers should use a variety of assessment methods such as unit
Grades tests, project evaluation, six-week tests, and the like. There should
be no fewer than two and no more than four test/major project
grades per six weeks in each subject area, including a required six-
week test and semester examination. Projects may assess multiple
learning standards and therefore, more than one grade may be
recorded for a project (based on the scoring rubric). Rubrics used
for grading projects will reflect mastery of identified content learn-
ing standards.
Students must take the ACP if it is offered in the course. The ACP
is considered a part of the course. Only students with appropriate
documentations (such as ARD or 504 documentation) may be ex-
empted from the ACP. ACPs are given as is and may not be modi-
fied. In cases of testing irregularity, the school will work with Evalu-
ation and Assessment to determine appropriate grading for the
student.
Number of Grades Teachers should record no fewer than two classwork/homework
grades per week per subject, with a minimum of 12 grades per
subject per grading period. Grades should be documented weekly.

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LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

Grade Weights for The following weights will be used to determine six-week report
Determining the card grades:
Six-Week Report-
Card Grade Classwork/Homework* 45 percent (no more than one-
fourth homework)
Tests 20 percent grade weight
Projects/Products 20 percent grade weight (example:
composition, research paper,
presentation, report)
Six-week test grade 15 percent grade weight

Semester and The semester examination/ACP will account for ten percent of the
Yearly Grades semester grade, and the three six-week grades will be averaged to
account for the remaining 90 percent of the semester grade. Se-
mester grades are averaged together to assign a yearly grade.
For courses that have a linked STAAR examination, a second se-
mester ACP will not be offered. For these classes, the second se-
mester grades will be calculated by average in the three six-week
grades, which account for 100 percent of the semester grade.
High Class / Grade- Teachers with a six-week and/or semester failure rate of greater
Level / School than 15 percent in any subject area will be required to develop and
Failure Rates submit an intervention support plan for struggling students that will
be monitored by the principal/designee.
Schools with a six-week and/or semester failure rate of greater
than 15 percent in any grade/subject will be required to develop
and submit an intervention support plan for struggling students that
will be monitored by the executive director of the learning commu-
nity.
Continued school failure rates resulting in greater than ten percent
retention of students in any grade level may result in additional re-
quired interventions/supports/consequences.
Teachers should be prepared to provide an update to the campus
principal for students whose grade averages are on the pass/fail
borderline of 68–69, including strategies for academic supports for
the next six weeks.
Guidelines for Test genre practice for standardized state assessments may be a
Standardized Test- part of the preparation process for students but should not take the
Prep / Remediation place of rigorous instruction or more open-ended performance-
based assessments. Therefore, the following must be adhered to
regarding the use of test-prep materials:

DATE ISSUED: 2/9/2018 12 of 18


LDU 2018.02
EIA(REGULATION)-X
Dallas ISD
057905

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT EIA


GRADING/PROGRESS REPORTS TO PARENTS (REGULATION)

1. Test-prep formatted questions can be used as test format


models after more rigorous assessments, which should reflect
higher-level thinking.
2. Supplemental test-prep materials can be used, but should be
limited to students who are in need of intervention in a par-
ticular subject area rather than as a general practice for all
students.
3. Students should be placed in tiered intervention programs,
based upon their learning needs, which requires scheduling of
academic intervention, tutorials, and the like.
4. Students should not be removed from any required core or
enrichment TEKS-based instruction for the purpose of test
preparation/remediation. Short-term focused intervention tuto-
rials may be scheduled in the three weeks prior to the state-
mandated assessment but should not remove students from
other required instruction without the approval of the campus
principal.
5. Parents must be notified if students are removed from any
core or enrichment TEKS-based course or classroom for test
preparation, and grades for the missed course/class must re-
flect student absence from instruction.
Grades 9–12 Report cards are issued every six-week grading period, and grades
Grading Guidelines will be recorded and communicated using District-approved report-
ing forms and/or software programs. Grading of student work
Reporting Learning
should be based on state- and District-required learning standards
Standards Mastery
and should provide clear expectations for mastery that are com-
municated to and/or co-constructed with students.
Grades will not be entered, nor credit awarded, for subjects from
which students have been pulled for instruction in another subject
during a grading period. If a student is assigned to an academic
intervention class, that student must be moved to the roster for that
intervention class. For courses carrying state credit, such moves
may only be made at the end of a semester so that students can
receive credit. For courses carrying local credit, such moves may
be made at the end of a six-week grading period.
Three-Week Progress reports are issued by the teacher every three weeks if a
Progress Reports student’s performance in any subject or class is below 70, or
whose average is deemed borderline according to District guide-
lines, and will be recorded and communicated using District-
approved reporting forms and/or software programs. Teachers are
encouraged to issue progress reports to all students to communi-
cate standards mastery and provide specific feedback about effort
exhibited by the student in his or her learning.

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Determining Homework is defined as work that is completed outside of class


Homework Grades time and is an extension and/or extra practice related to concepts
taught in class or preparation for a future class. Homework may
help families become more involved with the educational process,
communicate high expectations for students, and help students
develop self-discipline and organizational skills.
All homework assignments must be designed as a meaningful part
of the educational process and must be reviewed by the teacher.
Feedback should be provided within 48 hours of the submission of
the assignment or as soon as reasonably possible. Feedback is
defined as written comments, peer review, conference, grades, and
the like.
The cumulative time spent on homework must be reasonable. No
more than two hours per night or ten total hours per week of
homework should be assigned across all subjects/teachers com-
bined, with the exception of students enrolled in multiple AP cours-
es, who may be assigned up to one hour per day per AP course
with a total per week for all subjects/teachers combined of no more
than 20 hours (considerations may need to be made based on
campuses with block schedules, but the total number of hours
should remain consistent for students). Department heads/CILT
teachers should collaborate to determine homework assignments
that meet this expectation.
Determining Classwork should be rigorous, effort-based, and cumulative to
Classwork Grades show mastery of content area concepts such as in projects or rig-
orous tasks.
Expectations for grading classwork should be clearly defined
through rubrics, criteria charts, or other evaluative tools, and the
like. Project and/or problem-based assignments that evaluate mas-
tery of multiple concepts should be clearly defined in a rubric or
criteria chart that is communicated to/co-constructed with and un-
derstood by students.
Grading for Dual For dual credit courses taught by a qualified District teacher on the
Credit Courses high school campus, the grading system used will be the grading
Taught on the High system of the partner college or university.
School Campus
Makeup Work and Students will be permitted to make up assignments and tests with-
Incomplete Grades out grade penalty after an absence.
Related to an
Absence
Students will be given at least two school days for every day
missed to complete the assignments or tests missed after an ab-
sence. An incomplete (I) grade on the six-week report card may be
recorded if the allotted period has not elapsed prior to the end of

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the six-week grading period. An incomplete for a six-week grade


must be made up within ten school days, or the actual grade aver-
age earned will be recorded. Principals must be notified when an
incomplete is assigned.
Semester grades of incomplete must be reviewed by the school’s
attendance committee or grade placement committee. The campus
committee will determine the method for students to remediate the
incomplete grade.
Late Work Not Students must be given at least one opportunity to submit late work
Related to an not related to an absence. Grade penalties and the amount of time
Absence allowed to complete the assignment should be determined by
grade-level/department teacher teams and approved by the princi-
pal. Teachers will develop and consistently implement common
grade-level or department grading procedures for late work in
compliance with this regulation and will communicate the common
grading procedures to parents and students in writing as directed
by the campus principal.
Giving zeros as a grade for late work is not a best practice, and,
therefore it is recommended that a parent call/notification be made
prior to recording a grade of zero (especially for students for whom
the zero will likely result in a failing grade). Efforts should be made
to assist students in completing missed work.
Retesting To ensure that test grades reflect content mastery, a student will be
permitted to retake any major test that he or she has failed within
five school days of the date the failing grade was received or no
later than ten days of the date of the test. If the test is passed on
the second attempt, the failing grade will be removed from the
grade book, and the passing grade will be recorded, with the fol-
lowing exception. When student behavior or actions clearly
demonstrate that a major test was failed due to lack of effort or in-
appropriate behavior, a teacher, with the principal’s approval, may
assess a grade penalty. The grade penalty will be either the aver-
age of the two tests or a 70 (if either the average or the second at-
tempt is above 70). The grade given a student failing the test for
the second time will be the higher score earned on either test. The
retesting policy will not apply to ACPs.
Students with an unexcused absence during ACP testing must
make up a missed ACP examination within the first ten days during
which the campuses are open following the end of the original test-
ing window. These tests will be offered at the campus. Students
who fail to make up the examination during this time will receive an
examination grade of zero.

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Students with an excused absence during ACP testing must make


up a missed ACP examination within the first ten days during which
the campuses are open following the end of the original testing
window. These tests will be offered at the campus. If a student with
an excused absence is out for an extended time and has contacted
the school, the student may make up the examination by the end of
the grading period in which the student returns to school. For these
students, the school will arrange testing sessions through the Dis-
trict’s testing department. Students who fail to make up the exami-
nation within the allotted time frame will receive an examination
grade of zero.
Test and / or Project Teachers should use a variety of assessment methods such as unit
Grades tests, project evaluation, six-week tests, and the like. There should
be no fewer than three and no more than five test/major project
grades per six weeks in each subject area, including a required six-
week test and semester examination. Rubrics used for grading pro-
jects will reflect mastery of identified content learning standards.
Students must take the ACP if it is offered in the course. The ACP
is considered a part of the course. Only students with appropriate
documentations (such as ARD or 504, or Reconnection/Evening
Academy course documentation) may be exempted from the ACP.
Reconnection/Evening Academy students must take an alternate
test of similar rigor approved by the Superintendent or designee.
ACPs are given as is and may not be modified. In cases of testing
irregularity, the school will work with Evaluation and Assessment to
determine appropriate grading for the student.
Number of Grades Teachers should record no fewer than two classwork/homework
grades per week per subject, with a minimum of 15 grades per
subject per grading period. Projects may assess multiple learning
standards, so one project may result in multiple grade book entries.
Grades should be documented weekly.
Grade Weights for The following grade weights will be used to determine six-week
Determining Six- grades:
Week Grades
Classwork/Homework* 40 percent (no more than one-half
homework)
Tests 25 percent grade weight
Projects/Products 20 percent grade weight (example:
composition, research paper,
presentation, report)
Six-week test grade 15 percent grade weight

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The semester examination/ACP will account for 15 percent of the


Determining semester grade, and the three six-week grades will be averaged to
Semester and
account for the remaining 85 percent of the semester grade. Se-
Yearly Grades
mester grades are averaged together to assign a yearly grade.
For courses that have a linked STAAR EOC examination, a second
semester ACP will not be offered. For these classes, the second
semester grades will be calculated by averaging in the three six-
week grades, which account for 100 percent of the semester
grade.
For graduating seniors, grades for the second semester may also
be calculated by averaging the three six-week grades if ACP test-
ing is prior to graduation.
If a student at the high school level has been taught by a non-
certified substitute teacher in a classroom with a vacancy or a
teacher with extended absences for more than 25 days in Semes-
ter 1 or 30 days in Semester 2, the student’s final grade will be cal-
culated using either the ACP examination with 15 percent weight or
the average of the three six-weeks grades, whichever is higher.
High Class / Grade- Teachers with a six-week and/or semester failure rate of greater
Level / School than 20 percent in any subject area will be required to develop and
Failure Rates submit an intervention support plan for struggling students that will
be monitored by the principal.
Schools with a six-week and/or semester failure rate of greater
than 20 percent in any grade/subject will be required to develop
and submit an intervention support plan for struggling students that
will be monitored by the executive director of the learning commu-
nity. Continued school failure rates resulting in greater than five
percent retention of students in any grade level may result in addi-
tional required interventions/supports/consequences.
Teachers should be prepared to provide an update to the campus
principal for students whose grade averages are on the pass/fail
borderline of 68–69, including academic supports for the next six
weeks.
Guidelines for Test genre practice for standardized state assessments may be a
Standardized Test- part of the preparation process for students but should not take the
Prep / Remediation place of rigorous instruction or more open-ended performance-
based assessments. Therefore, the following must be followed re-
garding the use of test-prep materials:
1. Test-prep formatted questions can be used as test format
models after more rigorous assessments, which should reflect
higher-level thinking.

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2. Supplemental test-prep materials can be used but should be


limited to students who are in need of intervention in a par-
ticular subject area rather than as a general practice for all
students.
3. Students should be placed in tiered intervention programs,
based upon their learning needs, which requires scheduling of
academic intervention, tutorials, and the like.
4. Students should not be removed from any required core or
enrichment TEKS-based instruction for the purpose of test
preparation/remediation. Short-term focused intervention tuto-
rials may be scheduled in the three weeks prior to the state-
mandated assessment but should not remove students from
other required instruction without the approval of the campus
principal.
5. Parents should be notified if students are removed from any
core or enrichment TEKS-based course or classroom for test
preparation, and grades for the missed course/class must re-
flect student absence from instruction. In addition, parents
must give written permission for their student to be removed
from class for remedial tutoring or test preparation if the stu-
dent would miss more than ten percent of the regularly
scheduled class.
Adoption or Last This regulation was last adopted or amended on January 25, 2018.
Amended Date

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