Board Policy 5121 - Grading and Reporting for Elementary and Secondary Students

1. POLICY STATEMENT
   1. The Prince George’s County Board of Education (Board) believes that all students can learn and achieve at high levels, that rigorous performance standards and achievement standards are essential components of developing and delivering quality instruction, and that regular assessment is an important component of an effective teaching and learning environment and an important tool in measuring students’ learning.
   2. The Board is committed to ensuring that grading, reporting and the process for grade changes are applied consistently in all and across all Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) schools.
   3. The Board is also committed to student progress being reported in a manner that is understandable to students and their parents/guardians and relevant for instructional
2. PURPOSE
   The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for standardized grading processes, reporting of grades to parents/guardians and students, and grade change authorization.
3. DEFINITIONS
   1. Curriculum – The specific blueprint for learning that is derived from content and performance standards.
   2. Course expectations – Written statements of skills and knowledge that the student should attain by the end of a middle or high school course and that have been made available to the student and the student’s parents/guardians.
   3. Grade(s) – Grades represent a student’s performance based on course of study expectations. Performance is based upon assessments, class work, and independent work.
4. STANDARDS
   1. The Superintendent/designee shall develop and implement grading and reporting practices that include the following:
      1. Grades have consistent meaning within and among the schools to reduce performance variability and promote accountability.
      2. Grades are an accurate reflection of student achievement compared to grade level or course expectations outlined in the curriculum as demonstrated on class work, independent assignments, and multiple and varied assessment measures.
      3. Students shall have the opportunity to earn grades that reflect their ability to demonstrate learning outcomes and be graded in accordance with their achievement on material or information based on specified learning outcomes and approved curricula.
      4. Students shall have equitable access to academic resources and opportunities, and educational rigor that they need throughout their educational career to maximize academic success and fair grading practices.
      5. At the beginning of each course, students and parents/guardians shall be provided a written course outline, syllabus, or overview of course expectations along with grading procedures, grading categories, and weight assigned to each category.
      6. Students and parents/guardians shall be provided with an explanation of weights of honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment courses.
      7. Students and parents/guardians shall be provided information about how attendance factors into the student’s grade.
      8. Students and parents/guardians should be informed about the student’s progress throughout the grading period and progress should be reported formally at least every nine (9) weeks.
   2. The Superintendent/designee shall develop a process for changing a student’s grade, which includes:
      1. A timeline for grade changes;
      2. Names of staff positions authorized to make grade changes;
      3. Documentation that is required to be maintained to support final grade changes;
      4. The auditing of the validity of the grade changes each year; and
      5. Appeal procedures for parents/guardians.
   3. The Superintendent/designee shall provide a copy of this policy to the State Superintendent of Schools.
   4. The Superintendent shall submit a copy of the grade change validity audit to the Board and the State Superintendent of Schools.
5. IMPLEMENTATION RESPONSIBILITIES
   The Board directs the Superintendent to develop an administrative procedure to address grading and reporting and an administrative procedure to address grade changing.
6. REFERENCES
   1. Legal
      • COMAR 13A.03.02.07 Notice to Parents or Guardians and Students
      • COMAR 13A.03.02.08 Grading and Reporting
      • COMAR 13A.05.01.09(B) Report of Progress
   2. Other Board Policies
      • BP 0101 - Educational Equity
      • BP 5113 - Student Attendance, Absence, and Truancy
      • BP 5117 - Supplemental Learning Opportunities and Promotion and Retention
   3. Superintendent’s Administrative Procedures
      • AP 5113 - Student Attendance, Absence and Truancy
      • AP 5116 - Grade Change Authorization and Appeals
      • AP 5121.1 - Grading and Reporting for Elementary Schools, Early Childhood through Grade 5
      • AP 5121.2 - Grading and Reporting for Middle Schools Grade 6 through Grade 8
      • AP 5121.3 - Grading and Reporting for High Schools Grade 9 through Grade 12
      • AP 6186 - International High Schools Admission, Grading and Reporting
7. HISTORY
   • Policy Adopted 10/24/2006
   • Policy Amended 01/16/2008
   • Policy Amended 02/07/2008
   • Policy Amended 10/24/2024

Documents

• Board Policy 5121 - Grading and Reporting for Elementary and Secondary Students.pdf