Supplemental Guidelines for Grading – Middle/High School
Changes in Grading Procedures
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is committed to providing a high quality and equitable education for all students. Consistent with this position, the MMSD has made an important change related to grading and reporting practices. The District has eliminated the use of Modified Expectations (ME) as a grade designation for all secondary students. From this point forward, all students will receive a letter grade (or a Pass in certain circumstances) to indicate academic progress. To indicate that a student’s curriculum has been modified, the grade will be followed by an asterisk (A*).
Rationale
The decision to eliminate ME as a grade designation was made for two primary reasons.
1. To provide both students and their families with relevant feedback regarding academic achievement.
2. This practice is consistent with federal disability legislation and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) decisions which require school districts to provide students with disabilities report cards that are as meaningful as the report cards provided to students without disabilities[1]. The ME grade designation fails to meet this standard.
Irrespective of English language proficiency or disability status, parents/guardians must be provided meaningful information indicating their child’s progress or level of achievement in specific classes, course content, and or curriculum.
When would the use of an Asterisk be appropriate?
The following provides guidance where the use of an asterisk following a grade is appropriate to consider for English Language Learners, students with disabilities, and students involved in alternative educational programming.
English Language Learners: There are English language learners, especially at the secondary level, who require modifications to the curriculum for a period of time until their language proficiency allows them to learn through the support of instructional accommodations. For these students modifications to the curriculum can be reported with the use of an asterisk following the grade. For a newcomer or beginning-level English language learner in a general education class the use of an asterisk may be used when the content of the curriculum has been significantly modified to meet a student’s language proficiency level, and the student has not been expected to become as proficient in the same number of curricular goals/standards as other students in the class. The need for modifications for English language learners is generally time-limited since students will be expected to increase to a level of English proficiency where only accommodations are required.
Students with disabilities: The use of an asterisk following a grade (e.g., A*) will be used when the content of the curriculum has been modified to meet a student’s ability level, and the student is not expected to become as proficient in the same number of curricular goals/standards as other students in the class. Curriculum is “modified” when significant changes in the content or level are made. For students with disabilities, the following are reasonable starting points for determining whether curriculum is modified: 1.25 grade levels below for elementary, 1.5 grade levels below for middle school, and 2 grade levels or more below at the high school. Furthermore, the State of Wisconsin has established Extended Grade Band Standards (http://dww.madison.k12.wi.us/es/SpecEd/idea/waa/ExtStandWAA.htm) in Reading, Mathematics, and Science to guide instruction and curriculum planning for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The extended standards indicate what students with significant cognitive disabilities are expected to know and be able to do academically. These extended standards represent modified curriculum. IEP teams are required to explain the extent to which a student will not be involved full-time in the general curriculum. There should be consistency between this documentation within the IEP and use of an asterisk.
Students with alternative educational programming: There are unique situations where students are involved in alternative educational programming where significant changes in grade level content are made. Under these limited circumstances modifications to the curriculum can be reported with the use of an asterisk following the grade. Prior to issuing an asterisk noted grade, please consult your site-based or program administrator.
In all situations where a grade followed by an asterisk is used, parents need to be informed of the rationale and the comment section of the report card should be used to provide additional information about the student’s performance in that content area. In addition, for students with disabilities, an IEP Progress Report must be distributed to the family when report cards are issued.
It is important to consider that notations that are exclusively used to identify programs for students with disabilities unnecessarily provide these students with different education benefits or services a violation of both Section 504 and Title II.
When is the use of an asterisk not appropriate?
The use of an asterisk is not permissive for students who receive accommodations. Accommodations are changes in the way instruction is provided or the way in which the student is expected to respond and do not change the content or standard of what is taught. In other words accommodations provide students equal access to instruction and or evaluation of learning. Examples may include extended time limits, alternative modes of demonstrating proficiency, use of a scribe, brailled materials, access to teacher/peer notes, use of assistive technology, access to quiet/distraction free environments for testing, reduced quantity of assigned work/test items while maintaining curricular level.
Students involved full-time in the general curriculum (with or without accommodations), must receive a number or letter grade. A student is considered full-time in the general curriculum for a content area if:
· the student is working on approximately the same curricular goals/standards as grade level peers, and
· the same performance expectations are applied to the student (e.g., the student is expected to become as proficient in the same number of curricular goals/standards as the other students in the class).
Supplementary instruction in a content area from special education staff, ESL and/or bilingual education staff, or other instructional support staff that enables the student to work towards proficiency in the subject area does not preclude the student from being considered full-time in the general curriculum if the curricular goals/standards and
performance expectations are the same as the other students in the class.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Letter grades with and without an asterisk will be equally weighted in determining a student’s GPA.
Honor Roll
Students receiving letter grades with an asterisk will continue to be included in academic honor rolls and other achievement recognition ceremonies.
Important terms for grading diverse learners:
· Report Card: provided to parents/guardians to indicate their child’s progress or level of achievement in specific classes, course content, and or curriculum.
· Transcript: intended to inform postsecondary institutions or prospective employers of a student’s credentials and achievements.
· Accommodation(s): changes in the way instruction is provided or the way in which the student is expected to respond during instruction. Instructional accommodations do not change the content of what is taught. Viewed from a different perspective, accommodations provide students with disabilities equal access to instruction and or evaluation of learning. Examples of accommodations may include extended time limits, alternative modes of demonstrating proficiency, use of a scribe, brailled materials, access to teacher/peer notes, use of assistive technology, access to quiet/distraction free environments for testing, reduced quantity of assigned work/test items while maintaining curricular level.
· Modification(s): significant changes in the content or level of what is taught. Examples include, when a student is provided replaced curriculum from 1.5 - 2 grade levels below current placement or curriculum is significantly modified to earlier grade level standards.
Graduation Requirements
The Board of Education has established minimum requirements for graduation from the Madison Metropolitan School District. These standards are articulated in Board Policy 3540 which describes the course and credit requirements to successfully graduate. These minimum requirements provide consistent graduation standards for all Madison high school students and, at the same time, allow a variety of options through which students may meet the requirements.
Implications of Asterisk Grades on Graduation Requirements
Students who receive a grade followed by an asterisk in core content area or required courses will be credited as meeting Board Policy 3540 requirements. For example, if a student received an A* relative to their performance in Algebra I, the student would be credited for successfully completing, with modifications, the District’s math requirement. The key to differentiating between meeting a graduation requirement in a content area or elective credit rests upon the teacher’s certification(s). Students who meet course requirements taught by certified general education teachers or dually certified staff (general/special education, ESL/content certification, bilingual certification in a content area) will be credited for successfully completing, with modifications, the District’s graduation requirement in that content area. As such, a careful analysis of teacher certification will be required to determine the type of credit earned. For example, there may be scenarios where self-contained ESL (ZSL) or special education (XIS) courses are taught by dually certified staff and students are held to the same expectations as their English speaking peers/general education peers. In these situations, students will be credited for successfully completing the District’s graduation requirement in that content area. Students in courses taught by non-content certified English as a second language or special education staff will earn elective credit. In these situations, credits earned will apply toward meeting the district minimum of 22 credits but will not satisfy a content area requirement (e.g., English, math, science, or social studies).
Who to call with Questions
If you have further questions about grading, please contact a staff member from either the Department of Teaching and Learning or Educational Services.
2/3/2009
[1] Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) at 34 CFR § 104 et seq
The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II) at 28 CFR § 35 et seq
Office of Civil Rights, Letter of Finding “Letter to Runkel.” 25 IDELR 387 (1996)
Office of Civil Rights, Letter of Finding “Letter to Huddler.” U.S. Department of Education (2006)