BP 5121

Students

 

Grades/Evaluation of Student Achievement

 

The Governing Board believes that grades serve a valuable instructional purpose by helping students and parents/guardians identify the student’s areas of strength and those areas needing improvement.  Parents/guardians and students have the right to receive course grades that represent and accurate evaluation of the student’s achievement.

 

The teacher of each course shall determine the student's grade. The grade assigned by the teacher shall not be changed by the Board or the Superintendent except as provided by law, Board policy and administrative regulation.  (Education Code 49066)

 

Teachers shall evaluate a student’s work in relation to standards which apply to all students at his/her grade level, for Capitol High or for the particular career area for Central County Occupational Center.  Because of the differing natures of CCOC classes, each teacher shall establish and regularly evaluate a uniform grading system, and principals shall ensure that student grades conform to this system.  Teachers shall inform students and parents/guardians how student achievement will be evaluated in the classroom.

 

Grades should be based on impartial, consistent observation of the quality of the student’s work and his/her mastery of course content and objectives.  Students shall have the opportunity to demonstrate this mastery through a variety of channels such as classroom participation, homework, tests and portfolios. 

 

When reporting student grades to parents/guardians, teachers may add narrative descriptions, observational notes and/or samples of classroom work in order to better describe student progress in specific skills and subcategories of achievement.

 

Unexcused Absences

 

If a student misses class without an excuse and does not subsequently turn in homework, take a test or fulfill another class requirement which he/she missed, the teacher may lower the student's grade for nonperformance.

 

Students with excessive unexcused absences, as determined by the program administrators, may receive a failing grade and not receive credit for the class(es). 

 

Legal Reference:

            EDUCATION CODE:

            48070             Promotion and retention

            48205             Excused absences

            48431.6          Required systematic review

            49066             Grades; finalization; physical education class

            49067             Mandated regulations regarding pupil’s achievement

            49069.5          Students in foster care, grades and credits

            CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5

            10060             Criteria for reporting physical education achievement, high schools

            UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20

            1232g             Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

            6101-6251     School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994

            COURT DECISIONS

            Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo (2002) 122 S.Ct. 934

            Las Virgenes Educators Association v. Las Virgenes Unified School District             (2nd Appellate District 2001) 86 Cal.App.4th 1

            Swany v. San Ramon Valley Unified School District  (N.D.Cal. 1989) 720       F.Supp. 764

            Johnson v. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education (App. 2 Dist. 1986) 224 Cal. Rptr. 885, 179 C.A. 3d 593

 

 

Adopted:  2/10/99

Revised:  5/10/06