Update to Grading For Middle School - From OSPI

Middle School Grading Update - April 24

Middle school grading (grade 6-8) will mirror the high school grading model issued by OSPI. Grading Rules from OSPI OSPI released guidance and rules for Washington State high schools to follow regarding grading for the current semester given our closure through June. The key points are:

• Do no harm.

• Every student will get an opportunity to improve their grade with their March 17 status as a baseline.

• No student will receive a “pass,” “fail,” or “no credit” grade for any course.

• Teachers will assign grades or assign an “incomplete” for students who cannot engage in an equitable way.

• Every class taken during the closure period will be given a statewide designator on the high school transcript to denote the unique environment in which the course was taken.

• Students assigned an “incomplete” for a course will be given opportunities to reengage in the learning standards based on local school district decisions in consultation with the student/parents/guardians.

• All students will be given an opportunity to engage in continuous learning to maintain or improve their mastery of essential standards.

ISD Application of OSPI Guidelines Teachers have begun to assess essential new learning on Monday, April 20.  They are now giving feedback and assigning new grades.  Grades 6-8 will follow the high school grading model as some middle school courses count for high school credit and to provide consistency across the secondary system. During trimester 3, students will earn letter grades as outlined in the syllabus by their teacher.  It is important to note that in alignment with OSPI’s new guidance, students will not earn grades lower than the grade they had at the closure of school (trimester 2 final grade for middle schools).  All students will have the opportunity to earn a higher grade by engaging meaningfully with their coursework.  No students will earn Fs but will earn a letter grade (A, B, C or D) or an incomplete.  For example:

• Student 1 had a B at the closure in CC 7 and that student works very hard through the closure and through the teacher’s assessment of the student’s performance of the essential new learnings, the student receives a B or higher. 

• Or Student 2 had a B+ at the closure, but, despite engaging with the teacher and the content, struggled with some of the new content and remote essential new learning.  That student will still have a B+ at the end of the term.

• Or Student 3 had a C at the closure and could not engage with the coursework at all. The teacher has no way to assess the essential learning with nothing turned in. This student will earn an Incomplete.

• Or Student 4 had an F at the closure and could not engage with the coursework. 

• Student 5 had P/F grading in his or her IEP.  That student will remain eligible to earn a P or incomplete grade.

 We sincerely hope that students will continue to connect with their classroom communities and continue to build skills that are meaningful now and in their future coursework and endeavors.  We have been impressed by our teachers’ commitment to learning new tools and methods and rising to this challenge, but also recognize the challenges this remote learning presents for everyone. We hope that teachers’ commitment and innovation is inspiring great student growth and helping students stay intellectually engaged as well as socially connected to their peers and teachers. Moving Forward Issaquah School District teachers have and will continue to collaborate and connect digitally to implement the essential new learnings and to turn those into engaging learning opportunities offered remotely. They have worked across grade-level teams, subject area teams and departments to consider the alignment of coursework so that our students will be well served from level to level and grade to grade. They will also monitor our students’ engagement throughout the rest of the school year.