Bronx Alliance Adjusted Grading Policy
Revised November 2023
Bronx Alliance aims to provide high expectations for all leaders, while also being responsive to their social/emotional needs during COVID-19 and recognizing the disproportionate effect that this crisis has had on our community. Furthermore, we are committed to a fair and equitable grading system that accurately reflects a leader’s knowledge, understanding, and skills in a given content area. To this end, we are sharing our revised grading policy with the expectation that each of our leaders will remain actively engaged in learning during this period of blended and remote learning.
We are discontinuing the use of existing grade scales for marking period grades. Instead, we will use a Mastery Grading Scale that more clearly communicates a leader’s learning and growth as compared to grade-level learning expectations.
Our adjustments include providing flexibility in deadlines, different kinds of assignments that are better suited to the remote learning environment, and multiple ways to demonstrate learning (in chats, videos, texts as well as projects and assessments). Our intention is to provide leaders’ with multiple opportunities to learn and demonstrate their mastery of the content to ensure grades reflect what they know, understand, and can do and does not penalize leaders for having inadequate access and opportunities to engage in learning activities and complete learning tasks.
Final grades will reflect a holistic review of each leader’s learning and achievement over the course of the year. As part of the holistic review, leaders will have an opportunity to present evidence of their learning, growth, and achievement for the year. Attendance will not be a factor in leaders’ grades during the period of blended and remote learning; however participation and attendance is expected. Please contact Mr. Cobb with any questions you may have regarding this grading policy.
GRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Terms
Bronx Alliance has an annualized term schedule meaning courses must terminate before or at the end of the academic year. At that point, a final course score, if the course is graded, will be added to the official transcript.
Marking Periods
Bronx Alliance has four quarters and a final marking period. Grades for each of the four quarters are stand alone, not cumulative, in that they reflect mastery of course content for the quarter. The grade for the Final Marking Period is a cumulative, holistic score based on the teacher’s assessment of the leader’s mastery of course content for the year. The Final Marking Period grade is a cumulative grade for the course that appears on the official transcript. During the Final Marking Period, leaders may present a portfolio of evidence of their mastery of course outcomes to be considered by a teacher to improve their final course grade. The intention is to ensure leader’s are afforded every opportunity to ensure their final grade in each course accurately reflects the extent to which they have mastered course outcomes.
2021 - 2022 Term | |
Marking Period | Dates |
First Marking Period | 09/07/2023 - 11/25/2023 |
Second Marking Period | 11/26/2023 - 02/17/2024 |
Third Marking Period | 02/18/2024 - 05/25/2024 |
Final Marking Period | 05/26/2024 - 06/26/2024 |
Report Cards are distributed within two weeks of the end of the marking period. |
Grades
Throughout the year, leaders will receive Performance Level grades on progress reports and report cards. These grades communicate a leader’s level of mastery at a given point in time during the quarter or at the end of the quarter. At the end of the year, leaders will receive a cumulative, holistic Final Grade that communicates the leader’s level of mastery of the course content for the year.
Quarter Grades (Gradebook) | Explanation | Final Grades (Transcript) |
Exceeding | Evidence suggests leader has exceeded standards and mastered the content | CE |
Meeting | Evidence suggests leader has met standards and has solid knowledge of the content | CM |
Approaching | Evidence suggests leader is close to meeting standards but has some unfinished learning in content knowledge, understanding, and/or skills. | CA |
Not Yet | Evidence suggests leader is far from meeting standards with significant unfinished learning in content knowledge, understanding, and/or skills. | CN |
An incomplete may award a grade of Incomplete (NX) if a student has a documented, extreme extenuating circumstance that prevents them from completing the course in its established timeframe (for example, surgery, death in the family). A student who receives an incomplete must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the semester following the termination of the course in order to receive a final grade. NX does not have a pass/fail or a numeric equivalent.
Leaders who enroll in a course after it has started may have missed assignments or assessments needed to generate a complete course grade for a given marking period. These students may be given a grade of “NL” STARS to indicate this circumstance. “NL” does not have a pass/fail or numeric equivalent. Students who receive a grade of “NL” must successfully complete remaining course requirements by the end of the semester following the termination of the course in order to receive a final grade.
A grade of NS is given to a student who fails to attend a course and does not participate in any of the work from which a grade can be derived. NS has a pass/fail equivalent of fail and a default numeric equivalent of 45. This mark is used in egregious situations, when students have been given reasonable chances to make up missed work and their absences are so chronic that only a failing mark is appropriate.
Grading Weights and Protocols
Grading protocols are intended to ensure grades accurately and fairly reflect leaders’ demonstrated mastery of course content. Other factors such as attendance, participation, and effort are important, encouraged, and expected, but are not considered when assessing mastery and therefore are not included in our mastery grading protocol. Coursework is categorized into two weighted categories: Mastery Assessments (40%) and Other Evidence of Mastery (60%). Final grades are calculated as follows:
Universal Grading Policies
Leaders are required to complete course work as a means of learning course content and providing evidence of mastery. Grades are to reflect a leaders’ level of course content mastery. To this end, we adhere to the following policies:
Extra credit is not offered. Leaders may revise and resubmit work for a better grade upon consultation with the teacher.
Leaders will receive feedback on assignments in the form of a Performance Level (Exceeding, Meeting, Approaching, Not Yet) or written “Next Steps” aligned to a rubric, checklist, or mastery threshold.
Leaders may be required to engage in paired or group activities. However, leaders will receive independent grades that reflect their mastery of course content.
Work rated “Not Yet” or Level 1 is a failing score. Work must be revised and resubmitted for credit.
Points are neither added or deducted from leaders’ grades strictly for participation or being absent or present.
Attendance and Lateness
Neither attendance, lateness, nor participation factored into report card of final grades. Grades reflect demonstrated mastery of course content.
Resources
Bronx Alliance Adjusted Grading Policy - April 2020
DOE Grading Policy Guidance for Remote Learning (COVID-19) - June 5, 2020
DOE Mastery Based Learning - September 2019
DOE Middle School Academic Policy Guide - September 2019
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