A Comparison of Grading Policies at the High School Level During COVID-19
EAB researchers identified publicly available information on high school grading policies during COVID-19 from districts in the Washington Area Board of Education (WABE) and from the 10 largest school districts in the U.S. (by enrollment, according to the U.S. Census Bureau). Specifically, this report focuses on how administrators plan to assign Quarter 3, Quarter 4, and final grades for credit-bearing courses at the high school level.
Offer students additional time to submit and/or reattempt Quarter 3 assignments
Administrators should calculate Quarter 3 grades as normal (i.e., using the district’s existing grading system) based on work assigned up through the last day of in-person instruction.
In addition, administrators should grant a blanket extension for all students to submit missed assignments and/or reattempt assignments from Quarter 3 to increase opportunities for students to raise their Quarter 3 grades.
- At Alexandria City Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools, administrators allowed students to submit missed assignments, redo assignments, and/or retake assessments from Quarter 3 through April 24, 2020. Administrators at Loudoun County Public Schools add that teachers worked with individual students to offer “reasonable alternatives” for those who may not possess the necessary materials to complete missing assignments.
- At Fairfax County Public Schools and Manassas City Public Schools, administrators allowed students to make up Quarter 3 assignments and assessments through May 1, 2020.
- At Clark County School District, students may submit missed assignments, reattempt assignments, and complete test corrections for Quarter 3 up until the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
Establish a “Hold Harmless” grading policy for Quarter 4
Given that students have varying levels of access to distance learning for a range of reasons (e.g., access to devices, Internet, adult supervision), administrators should implement a “hold harmless” grading policy for Quarter 4. Under a “hold harmless” grading policy, students cannot receive grades lower than what they earned before school closure.
Quarter 4 grading policies at profiled districts
- Alexandria City Public Schools: A student receives a “Pass” if they complete at least 60 percent of assigned work. A student receives a “No Grade” if they complete less than 60 percent of assigned work.
- Falls Church City Public Schools: A student receives a “Pass” or “Fail” based on their “level of mastery of learning, work completion, active participation, and engagement in online learning.”
- Montgomery County Public Schools: A student receives a “Pass” or “Incomplete” based on their assignment completion, demonstration of learning, engagement with teachers, and “teacher’s professional judgment.”
- Prince George’s County Public Schools: A student receives a “Pass” or “Incomplete.” Administrators do not provide specific criteria for determining if a student earns a “Pass” or “Incomplete.”
- Clark County School District: A student receives the same grade for Quarter 4 that they earned for Quarter 3.
- Fairfax County Public Schools: Administrators will assign “No Mark” for all Quarter 4 grades. Students will still receive formative feedback from teachers such as comments on quality of work and guidance for improvement.
- Loudoun County Public Schools: Administrators will not provide Quarter 4 grades. Teachers will still provide formative feedback on student work to maintain continuity of learning, monitor progress, and cultivate a growth mindset for students.
- Manassas City Public Schools: Administrators will not provide Quarter 4 grades. Students will still receive formative feedback from teachers.
Criteria for determining “Pass/Fail” for Quarter 4
at profiled districts
Assignment completion
- At Montgomery County Public Schools, a student must have completed at least 50 percent of assignments.
- At Falls Church City Public Schools, a student must have completed assignments on time. Administrators do not specify the percentage of assignments students must have completed on time.
Demonstration of learning
- At Montgomery County Public Schools, a student must have demonstrated “understanding of concepts or application of skills” on completed assignments.
- At Falls Church City Public Schools, students must have demonstrated some understanding of course learning targets.
Engagement with teachers
- At Montgomery County Public Schools, a student must have demonstrated consistent engagement, such as attending scheduled teacher check-ins, communicating with the teacher on a regular basis, or participating in other activities (e.g., contributing to discussion boards online).
- At Falls Church City Public Schools, a student must have responded to messages, emails, and posts in a “timely manner.” In addition, the student must have applied teacher feedback to make improvements on assignments.
Teachers’ professional judgment on student’s holistic performance and circumstances
- At Montgomery County Public Schools, teachers may use their professional judgment of a student—“based on the body of evidence and a holistic view of a student’s performance within the context of their circumstances caused by the pandemic”—to positively impact the student’s grade.
If using “Pass/No Pass” for Quarter 4, translate a “Pass” into an increased final letter grade
By rewarding students who earn a “Pass” for Quarter 4 with an increased final course letter grade, administrators reward student work and engagement during distance learning.
| Student receives a “Pass” for Quarter 4 | Student does not receive a “Pass” for Quarter 4 | |
| Alexandria City Public Schools | A student receives a “Pass” for Q4. When calculating the final grade, administrators enter “100” as the Q4 grade. Administrators average Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 grades at equal weights (i.e., 25 percent each). Example: • A student receives the following grades: 94 percent for Q1, 82 percent for Q2, and 79 percent for Q3. The student receives a “Pass” for Q4. • Administrators calculate the final grade to be (94 + 82 + 79 + 100) / 4 = 88.75. | A student receives a “No Grade” for Q4. Administrators do not factor a Q4 grade into the final grade. Administrators average Q1, Q2, and Q3 grades at equal weights (i.e., 33 percent each). Example: • A student receives the following grades: 94 percent for Q1, 82 percent for Q2, and 79 percent for Q3. The student receives a “No Grade” for Q4. • Administrators calculate the final grade to be (94 + 82 + 79) / 3 = 85. |
| Prince George’s County Public Schools | A student receives a “Pass” for Q4. Administrators thus add three points to their final grade on a 100-point grading scale. First, administrators calculate the initial final grade by averaging Q1, Q2, and Q3 grades at equal weights. Then, administrators add the three points. Example: • A student receives the following grades: 94 percent for Q1, 82 percent for Q2, and 79 percent for Q3. The student receives a “Pass” for Q4. • Administrators calculate the final grade to be (94 + 82 + 79) /3 = 85. • Administrators add 3 points: 88. | A student receives an “Incomplete” for Q4. The student receives the opportunity to make up work to earn a “Pass” when classes resume for the 2020-2021 school year. Through this make-up opportunity, students may then earn the three points added to their 2019-2020 final grade. |
| Falls Church City Public Schools | A student receives a “Pass” for Q4. Administrators use the student’s Q3 grade as their S2 grade. Administrators average S1 and S2 grades at equal weights to calculate the final grade (i.e., 50 percent each). Example: • A student receives the following grades: 94 percent for Q1, 82 percent for Q2, and 79 percent for Q3. The student receives a “Pass” for Q4. • Administrators calculate the S1 grade to be (94 + 82) / 2 = 88. Administrators set the S2 grade at 79. Administrators calculate the final grade to be (88 + 79) / 2 = 83.5. | Administrators do not explicitly communicate how they would calculate the final grade if a student were to receive a “Fail” for Q4. Administrators may still use the same calculation as if a student earned a “Pass.” |
If not using “Pass/No Pass” for Quarter 4, calculate the final letter grade using multiple methods and choose the highest resulting grade
At Fairfax County Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools, administrators use multiple, distinct methods to calculate a student’s final grade. Administrators ultimately select the calculation method that yields the most favorable grade for the student.
Approaches to calculate final grades for year-long courses at profiled districts that do not assign “Pass/No Pass” Quarter 4 grades
Administrators use the following calculation:
(Q1 + Q2 + Q3) / 3
Example: A student receives the following grades: 94 percent for Q1, 82 percent for Q2, and 79 percent for Q3.
(94 + 82 + 79) / 3 = 85
Used by:
- Fairfax County Public Schools
- Arlington Public Schools
- Loudoun County Public Schools
- Manassas City Public Schools
Administrators use the following calculation:
[((Q1 +Q2) / 2) + Q3] / 2
Example: A student receives the following grades: 94 percent for Q1, 82 percent for Q2, and 79 percent for Q3.
[((94 + 82) / 2) + 79] / 2
= [88 + 79] / 2
= 83.5
Used by:
- Loudoun County Public Schools
Student receives an S1 grade and a “Pass/Fail” for S2
Used by:
- Loudoun County Public Schools
Student receives the same grade for their final grade that they earned for S1
Used by:
- Fairfax County Public Schools
Administrators assign the following weights:
- Q1 grade: 22 percent
- Q2 grade: 22 percent
- S1 final exam: 12 percent
- Q3 grade: 22 percent
- Q4 grade: 22 percent
Used by:
- School District of Palm Beach County
Administrators use existing grading scales to calculate final letter grades
If a student earns a passing final letter grade (i.e., “D” or above), they can choose to convert this letter grade to a “Pass.”
If a student does not earn a passing final letter grade, they can choose to convert this letter grade to “Course in Progress.” The student would then have the option to complete the course during the summer or 2020-2021 school year.
Used by:
- New York City DOE
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