How do I claim my ‘A’s in my classes and call it good for the school year right now?
Yesterday, DeKalb Schools released an End-Of-Year Guide explainging how the district plans on wrapping up the 2019-2020 school year. In addition to a modified calendar and end of year activities, it explained final grade calculations.
1st – 11th Grades – Final Grade Calculations
Teachers will calculate each student’s final grade after evaluating which option is higher.
• Option A – Use the grade as of March 13, 2020 as the semester final grade
• Option B – Use the grade as of March 13, 2020 and the virtual learning assignments to calculate the semester final grade
If a student has earned an “A” as of March 13th, the grade is archived. Any virtual learning assignments will be graded and can only improve a student’s grade. Administrators will receive the procedures for teachers to access the archived grades within the next week. During a scheduled student and/or parent conference, a teacher will be able to share a student’s archived grade. In the meantime, a parent and student may access the current grade including virtual learning assignments through Infinite Campus.
Parents who would like to see their student’s grade as of March 13th which was the 9-week grading period, can log into Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Once parents log into parent portal, click on the course and then click on term 2-1 and you will see the 9-week average.
My most frequently asked question from parents and students: How do I claim my March 13th ‘A’ and be done with the school year in that class?
Some of the heartfelt responses from teachers include:
This is a great opportunity to improve grades!!! Teachers are working hard on lesson plans and to try to help kids with virtual assignments!! I’m trying my hardest as a mom and as a teacher! Don’t throw in the towel!!!!
I am doing three things in my classes, and it is exhausting! For those who were failing at 9 weeks, I have to find a way to give them an opportunity to raise their grade and pass. For those who want to be prepared for the future, I have to find a way to make sure they have an opportunity to learn all they should learn. And for those who just want a bump, to turn that C into a B or that B into an A, I have to have a mechanism that fairly allows that. But I expect (quite reasonably) that most of my students are going to disappear. And I will miss them a great deal…
Stacy Stepney is the Chief Academic Officer at DeKalb Schools. She has some thoughts for students who would like to call it a year.
STACY STEPNEY
DeKalb Schools – Chief Academic Officer
Scenario:
A student has earned an 87% in an AP, IB, or dual enrollment class. The 87% is weighted as an “A” because the student receives 4 quality points when the grade point average is calculated in DCSD. If the student continues to submit virtual learning assignments, the student may increase his/her class average to 90%, which is truly an “A” that receives 5 quality points when the grade point average is calculated in DCSD.
When the student’s HOPE grade point average is calculated, the weighting is removed and re-calculated by HOPE’s formula. The high school grade point average is not the same as the HOPE grade point average.
Many scholarship opportunities use the weighted grade point average as a qualifier as reflected in the scenario above. One factor that determines the valedictorians, salutatorians, and top 10% graduates is the weighted grade point average. Also, a student’s grade point average in core area subjects is considered during the gifted eligibility process.
If a student has earned an “A” as of March 13th, the grade is archived. Any virtual learning assignments will be graded and can only improve a student’s grade. Administrators will receive the procedures for teachers to access the archived grades within the next week. During a scheduled student and/or parent conference, a teacher will be able to share a student’s archived grade. In the meantime, a parent and student may access the current grade including virtual learning assignments through Infinite Campus.
STACY STEPNEY
Chief Academic Officer
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”