Elsa England Grading Policy
Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade
Students earn numerical grades on a 0-100 scale.
Redo/Retake
Any grade below a 70 is considered failing, and the student will have a reasonable and fair opportunity to be retaught and to redo the assignment to further develop his/her understanding of the concept, earning a grade up to a 70.
Number of Grades per Quarter
District Policy (EIA Local) states that grading guidelines shall ensure that grades reflect a student’s relative mastery of an assignment and that a sufficient number of grades are taken to support the grade average assigned. Elementary teachers will take a minimum of one grade per week each quarter in each core content area (reading, writing, math, science, social studies). When calculating a nine- week average for a content area, no single grade will count more than 30% of the total average. No two grades will count more than 50% of the total average.
Nine Weeks Average (categories with percentages)
Daily Work 70%
Tests and Projects 30%
Work missed due to absence
The teacher will determine the critical assignments that will need to be made up due to absences.
Missing work will need to be completed within one week of returning to school. For extended
illnesses, special arrangements will be made with the teacher. It is important for students to learn personal
responsibility and to be accountable for their work.
Progress Reports/Conferences
A progress report will be sent home during the fourth week of each quarter if a student is not
passing. A teacher shall request a conference with a student’s parents at the end of a nine-week
period if the student’s grades are not passing. Parents and teachers may request a conference at any
other time for other academic or behavioral concerns. Parents are able to view grades at any time
through the Home Access Center.
Homework
Your child works very hard all day at school-- I ask a lot of them and expect them to be present and engaged from the time they walk into our classroom in the morning, to the time when they walk out to go home in the afternoon. Therefore, it is important for their mental and physical well-being that evenings and weekends are not bogged down with tons of homework. Studies show that this is not an effective instructional method. It is important that students have this time to spend with families, try extracurricular activities, and just PLAY! Don't underestimate the value of free play to foster creativity!
That being said, learning DOES NOT stop when they leave the school building! There are many things that should be happening at home to practice skills and allow your child to learn while at home. Here are some suggestions that I believe would be the best uses of your child's time:
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READ, READ, READ! Read a variety of genres and for a variety of purposes. This should be enjoyable for students, and can be a social, family-bonding activity as well! Help them find books, websites, or articles about topics that interest them, or something they wondered about earlier in the day. Students should be reading at least 20 minutes each night.
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Join one of Elsa England's extracurricular learning opportunities! Math Superstars, reading Bluebonnet books for library voting parties, Student Council and other clubs. Keep your eyes and ears open for these awesome opportunities that are always free and available for your child.
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Practice math skills on a website from our class page or another third grade teacher's page. Practicing with flashcards to learn basic math facts quickly is something all students can do, and will help them solve more complex math problems in class. This is something they should be doing daily until these facts are comfortable and fluent.
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Give your child responsibilities around the house (ex: set the table, feed the pets, lay out clothes for the next day, collect laundry and bring it to the laundry room, etc.). This is non-academic and may seem trivial, but students who have responsibilities at home are more likely to be responsible and independent at school!
