Q&A
Questions about the Gradebook or Grading Policy
If you have questions about grading and they aren't answered by the resources on this site, the best resource to turn to is likely your student's teacher. In addition, you can use the form at the bottom of this page to submit a question to staff at the Wilson Center. Below, too, are some questions we've received from parents. Click the question to see its answer.
Whom should I contact if I have questions about my student's grades?
The best point of contact for your student's grades and the evidence underlying them is the classroom teacher.
Where is mode being used as part of grade calculations?
Mode is used at elementary and at BHMS.
At elementary, the end-term mark for each domain with a class is the mode of the highest scores from each assessed standard within that domain. There is no overall mark for a course.
At middle school, the overall mark for a course consists of the mode of the highest scores from each assessed standard within the class.
DHS requested and received permission to chart a different path this year with reenvisioning communicating about grading. At DHS, each unit has equal weight and it is averaged. You can learn more about DHS’s grading methods here.
What happens if no mode can be found, such as when the grades for the term are 3, 3, 4, and 4?
Teachers can revise the reported grade at the end of the grading term to reflect the best evidence of learning.
What happens if there is just one grade for a subject
It is possible for there to be one grade for a standard, however what is represented in the report card is a grade based on multiple standards within a domain or subject area. It is possible to not do well on one standard but be overall proficient in an area or domain. The teacher then uses the standard level data to extend or remediate student learning. For most subjects, many standards are revisited throughout the grading term and school year; therefore, students have additional opportunities to show mastery of standards beyond this one grading cycle
Is there literature to support using the mode (rather than average, median, decaying average, eliminating the highest and lowest scores, and other summative statistics/methods) in grading?
Yes, and we've listed online resources, scholarly research, and information from other school districts that also use the mode as a measure of central tendency on the Resources page.
What if a student improves their performance on summative assessments over a grading term, but the most common grade (i.e. mode score) is still the lower one -- for example, the student has four summatives with a score of 3 at the beginning of a term, but ends the semester with three 4s?
Teachers can revise the reported grade at the end of the grading term to reflect the best evidence of learning.