BIA Grading Principles
#1: Grades and reports are based on clearly specified learning goals and performance standards as outlined in the Georgia Standards of Excellence.
#2: Evidence used for grading is valid, and students are assessed on what they are taught. There are no trick questions and no surprises.
#3: Grading is based on established criteria, not on arbitrary norms.
#4: Not everything should be included in grades. Students are not graded as they are learning the information, but after the learning has occurred. Students need to have enough “practice” in order to be successful in the “game.” Practice is learning time (not graded). The game is to show what you know (graded).
#5 In the Lower School, use numbers 1-4 to assess student achievement. In the Upper School, use numeric grading, both as described above .
#6 Focus on achievement and report other factors separately. For example, students’ math grades will reflect their math achievement. However, their work habits and responsibilities during math will be reported separately.
Lower School (Grades K – 5)
BIA uses a standards-based grading system in the Lower School. Standards-based grading is a method that reports progress in terms of how students are progressing toward meeting the learning goals for their grade as determined by the State’s standards. Standards-based grading is a way to communicate what students know at a point in time rather than an average of performance over an entire period. It measures a student’s performance according to the standards taught rather than comparing student progress to other students.
A standards based approach:
● Indicates what students know and are able to do
● Has scores that reveal a student’s progress toward the attainment of an essential standard
● Clearly communicates expectations from the beginning
● Is based on complex tasks, as opposed to rote memory
● Emphasizes the more recent evidence of learning rather than cumulative averages
● Uses multiple assessments to measure the learning progress of students
● Is a method of tracking student learning by specific essential standards, rather than by assignment type
● Has a focus solely on proficiency and mastery of the content
Standards-based report cards give a grade for each learning goal, so students receive multiple grades in each subject area. In 5th grade math, for example, the subject broken into several categories, such as operations/algebraic thinking and fractions. Under each category, a list of math skills the student should be able to do, as well as a grade showing how the student is performing. Work habits are graded separately, executive functioning skills, to provide an accurate picture of the student’s academic achievement. Behavior includes aspects like completing tasks on time, coming to class prepared, and contributing positively to class discussions. Grades/student progress will be available for parents in Infinite Campus, our Learning Management System. Progress Reports will also be sent home at the end of each quarter. Grades will indicate knowledge and skill mastery of specific standards covered during that quarter rather than a single grade for each content area.
What Scores Mean:
Mastery will be indicated on the report card on a scale of 1 to 4 as explained by the following:
4 Exceeds the Standard
● Consistently goes above and beyond course standards in quality and includes complexity, originality, and depth that would exceed what is expected to meet standards in assessment
● Demonstrates extensions of his/her knowledge
● Should be able to create analogies and/or find connections, integrating areas of study
● Consistently grasps, applies, and extends the key concepts and skills for the grade level
3 Meets the Standard (Expected Outcome)
● Proficiently demonstrates achievement of the standards
● Understands and uses concepts and/or vocabulary and/or skills independently
● Understands not just the “what,” but can accurately explain the “how” and “why”
● This is competent work, grade level work
2 Approaching the Standard (Expected Outcome as Learning Takes Place)
● Sometimes demonstrates progress toward achievement of the standards
● Can correctly identify some concepts and/or vocabulary and/or skills
● Difficulty making connections among ideas; need support to demonstrate learning
● Genuinely attempts to meet standards, but needs more time to achieve competency
1 Does Not Meet the Standard
● Does not demonstrate achievement of the standard
● Scholar has not met majority of performance indicators
● Scholar has not genuinely attempted to meet the rubric criteria
● Does not grasp and apply key concepts and skills for the grade level BIA Grading Policies 2019-2020
● This is not a passing grade
Upper School (Grades 6 – 8)
BIA uses traditional numeric grading in the Upper School in order to provide prospective high schools with numeric Grade Point Averages (GPAs) used for student academic placement, acceptance into extracurricular activities and to acclimate our students to this grading process which is used in the high school setting.
Numeric grades have a letter grade equivalent as follows:
90 – 100 = A
80 – 89 = B
70 – 79 = C
Below 70 = F