Perrysburg Schools

Ensuring ALL Students Achieve Their Greatest Potential

Grading & Reporting Guide for Families

Grading Philosophy

Perrysburg Junior High School’s grading philosophy is based upon best practices and research. We recognize that students in the middle grades are at varying stages of development and readiness; they are continually growing academically, socially and emotionally. We believe the purpose of grades is to communicate information about a student’s achievement at a given time and about learning trends during the school year. Additionally, we believe that academic grades will primarily reflect students’ mastery of the content of the Ohio Learning Standards and the district-approved curriculum as outlined in curricular maps.

Consistent & Equitable Grading Policy

We maintain a Consistent & Equitable Grading Policy for summative assessments. This policy holds students accountable for their own learning and academic performance. Grades are recorded on a scale of 50 – 100%. No final grade below 50% will be recorded unless a student makes no attempt to complete the assignment, project or assessment. If no attempt is made by the student, a zero will be given without a second-chance opportunity. Grades entered below 50% in Schoology are preliminary pending student initiative to exercise a second-chance opportunity. If that opportunity is not exercised, the grade will be converted to 50%.

Second-Chance Test Policy

Students who have not shown mastery of content on summative assessments will have the opportunity for a second chance. The goal is to allow students the opportunity to demonstrate learning that was not indicated on the initial summative assessment. In order for a second-chance opportunity to be provided, students are required to communicate with their teacher and develop a plan for the option to have a second-chance opportunity. Additionally, students will need to demonstrate that they have done the necessary preparation to be successful on a second-chance opportunity. The teacher will determine both the criteria for a student to be eligible for a second-chance opportunity and the type of preparation needed for the second-chance opportunity, which may include: completion of missing assignments, content reviews, test corrections or additional requirements made by the teacher.

A student who earned a 82% (B-) or higher on the original assessment is not eligible for a second-chance opportunity. A student who takes advantage of a second-chance opportunity will earn a maximum score not higher than a 82% (B-). The original grade earned on tests will be noted in the “notes” section of the grade book for intervention purposes and parent information. Teachers will post and clearly communicate second-chance opportunities and deadlines on Schoology. The goal, as students develop study strategies and work habits throughout the year, is for their usage of second-chance opportunities to decrease.

Homework Policy

Homework is an important part of the learning process and takes a different form and purpose per content area. When homework is done accurately and in a timely manner, it can increase understanding of concepts, strengthen skills and improve achievement. Homework is only assigned when it is critical for student understanding or allows students to practice skills that build throughout the year. Homework will not count for more than 5-10 percent of a student’s grade for the quarter. Teachers try to limit assigning homework over long weekends and holiday breaks.

Guiding Principles

At Perrysburg Junior High School, teachers and administrators are dedicated to assessing students’ knowledge using clear and objective measures, and communicating those measurements to all stakeholders. To this end, grades will:

- Be aligned to our core beliefs
- Convey achievement of identified standards approved by the Perrysburg School District
- Be predominantly determined by achievement and not behavior
- Be based on quality assessments and objective evidence of learning
- Support student learning
- Be clearly communicated to all stakeholders on an ongoing basis

Parents and guardians who would like to learn more about Best Practices in Grading and Reporting may want to read A Repair Kit for Grading—15 Fixes for Broken Grades, by Ken O’Connor (2011).

Grading Scale & Descriptors

A (96-100)
A- (92-95)
B+ (89-91)
B (86-88)
B- (82-85)
C+ (78-81)
C (74-77)
C- (70-73)
D+ (67-69)
D (64-66)
D- (61-63)
F (Below 61)

A-
Designates the status of a student who consistently demonstrates accurate and complete knowledge of content and skills specified in the Ohio Learning Standards and the district-approved curriculum as outlined in curricular maps, and applies that knowledge to solve problems in a variety of settings.

B+

B
B-
Designates the status of a student who demonstrates knowledge of content and skills specified in the Ohio Learning Standards and the district-approved curriculum as outlined in curricular maps, with some improvement needed in accuracy and/or consistency in performance, applying that knowledge to solve problems in a variety of settings.

C+

C
C-
Designates the status of a student who demonstrates knowledge of basic content and skills specified in the Ohio Learning Standards and the district-approved curriculum as outlined in curricular maps, but requires additional practice and instructional experiences to acquire skills necessary to solve problems in a variety of settings.

D+

D
Designates the status of a student who needs significant practice and instructional experiences to acquire the knowledge of basic content and skills specified in the Ohio Learning Standards and the district-approved curriculum as outlined in curricular maps necessary to solve problems. As a final mark, it is not necessarily sufficient to meet the prerequisite requirements for the next level in a sequence of courses.

Designates the status of a student who has not demonstrated the basic knowledge of content and/or skills specified in the Ohio Learning Standards and the district-approved curriculum as outlined in curricular maps, and requires additional practice and instructional experiences in order to succeed.

Grading Guide