FCPS Secondary Guidelines for Grading

The purpose of the Secondary Guidelines for Grading and Reporting is to establish grading and reporting practices at the middle and high school levels in order to reach the following goals:

• Ensure that grades are based on student achievement, knowledge, and skill proficiency demonstrated in the classroom and are separated from work habits. 
• Promote consistency in grading across teams, departments, and schools.
• Promote ongoing formative feedback to students. 
• Promote practices that encourage continuous engagement in learning.
• Provide parents and students ongoing, credible, and useful feedback that conveys the expectations and achievement of identified standards of knowledge included in the curriculum.
• Ensure alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Edison Grading Philosophy

At Edison High School, we embrace standards-based grading as a cornerstone of our commitment to student success in alignment with the FCPS grading policies. By focusing on mastery of essential standards and skills, we empower all students to reach their full potential. Our grading practices prioritize student growth, providing clear and actionable feedback to guide improvement.

Open communication among teachers, students, and caregivers is essential to our approach. We work collaboratively to ensure grading consistency, provide transparent student progress reporting, and utilize data to inform instruction and support student achievement.

Edison High School Grading

Grading Communication: Parents and students can access grades in our Student Information System (“SIS”) at any time. Parents and students can view SIS information on the FCPS website (ParentVUE or StudentVUE). Both parents and students are encouraged to contact a teacher if they have questions about what they see in SIS.

Rolling Gradebook

• All courses at Edison use a rolling grade book.
• A rolling grade book is cumulative documentation of learning; unlike quarterly grade books, a rolling grade book documents learning on an ongoing basis throughout the year. This grading and reporting practice allows for increased opportunities for students to show their highest level of learning on individual standards. The grade posted at the end of each traditional quarter is a snapshot of a student’s current progress in the course.
• For classes utilizing a rolling gradebook, teachers must provide opportunities to reassess summative assessments from previous quarters to demonstrate proficiency.
• For students who are in danger of failing a course, opportunities must be given during the fourth quarter to reassess summative assessments from previous quarters to demonstrate minimum course proficiency.
• Additionally, when a student is in danger of failing the course, a close examination of trends in mastery of learning is required.

Standards-Based Grading

• Is a grading and reporting practice to communicate student progress of the course standards; grades directly assessing a standard/skill determine the majority of the overall grade.  Students are given practice (formative) on the standard before the summative assessment; the highest level of learning on the summative assessment is recorded. This practice informs all stakeholders of the essential standards students learn in each subject area at a particular grade level.  It is designed to give students, teachers, administrators, and parents/guardians a better understanding of strengths and areas of growth for that student.
• Student progress of the essential standards is communicated in SIS.  All summative assessments will be "I Can" statements. 

Summative Assessments 

• A summative assessment is a culminating assessment that measures mastery of standards.
• Assignments in this category are eligible for reassessment.  
  • Weight
    • Summative assignments are weighted 70% in the grade book.
  • Examples
    • Projects, Performance assessments, Major writing assignments, Presentations, Labs, Tests

Formative assignments

• Provide students with feedback toward mastery of standards.
• Allow students to understand areas to target for improvement while learning is in progress before summative assessment.
• Are not eligible for reassessment.
  • Weight 
    • Formative assignments are weighted 30% in the grade book.
  • Examples
    • Quizzes, Classwork, Homework, Exit tickets

Assignments

• Assignments should be assessed and/or graded, returned, and reviewed promptly with the student.
• Teachers are expected to grade each assignment and post grades to the gradebook within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback.
  • If more time is required to provide feedback, teachers will notify students in advance of the project's due date.

Reassessment

For summative assessments, any student who completes corrective action shall be provided with at least one new opportunity to demonstrate proficiency up to 100%.  

• Corrective action before the reassessment (Teacher will choose 1):
  • Re-teaching with feedback:  Math/Writing centers, online programs, returns or after school with teacher OR
  • Test Corrections with Teacher after school or during Return OR
  • Complete practice work in the formative category related to the standard reassessed, not to exceed 5 tasks.

Late Work

Late work will be accepted to document learning and mastery.

• Summative

  • If a student, after two weeks, has been given multiple opportunities to complete the summative assessment and has not done so, and parent/guardian contact has been made, a zero may be entered in the grade book. 

• Formative

  • Formative assessments/assignments will be accepted for full credit up until the date of the assessment. After the assessment, a zero will be entered for any work not handed in.  

Reasonable Attempt versus 0

• For assignments or assessments where a student made a reasonable attempt to show evidence of their learning, the minimum score that a student can receive is a 50.
  • A “reasonable attempt” occurs when a student submits an assignment with some evidence that an attempt was made to demonstrate knowledge.
• For assignments or assessments that a student did not attempt, a student can receive a zero.
  • Teachers should follow all related late work policies before assigning a zero.
  • If a student has been given multiple opportunities to complete work and has not done so, and parent/guardian contact has been made for summative assessments, a zero may be entered in the grade book per the reasonable late work policy established by the school or teacher teams.

Grading Scale

Frequently Asked Questions