BCMS Grading Policy

The staff of Berry Creek Middle School recognizes that every graduating class faces new challenges. It is our goal to help students meet those challenges by preparing students not only for high school, but also for college and career readiness. While students must attain basic literacy, content and numeracy skills, they must also attain other skills included in our school’s Essential Skills.

We believe that grades serve a valuable instructional purpose by helping students and parents/guardians identify the student’s area of strength and areas needing growth; recognizing that each student is an individual. Parents/guardians and students have the right to receive course grades that are an accurate representation of the individual student’s achievement of the state standards and the Eagle County School District’s curriculum frameworks. 

Grades should be based on consistent observation of the quality of student work and student mastery of course content and academic standards. Students shall have multiple opportunities to demonstrate this mastery through a variety of means such as performance assessments, class activities, projects, quizzes, essays, labs and presentations. Our grading efforts are rooted in our dedication to equitable access, opportunities, and success for all our students. Traditional grading practices often punish students for behaviors and factors beyond their control. Grades based on academic proficiency in a standards-based model more fairly reflect student achievement.

The school’s grading policy shall be administered in a uniform manner based on standards that apply to all students in that course or grade level.  It is aligned and consistent with the ECSD Grading Handbook. Administrators and teachers shall ensure that student grades align to this system and are consistent among all teachers. Teachers shall inform students and families in advance how student achievement will be evaluated in the classroom. This can be done in a variety of ways including learning targets and rubrics.

5 Principals of Grading: 

1. Accurate – Our grading uses calculations that are mathematically sound, easy to understand, and correctly describe a student’s level of academic proficiency. 

2. Based on Academic Proficiency – Grades reflect proficiency of standards as measured by varied assessments and a body of evidence. Homework, behaviors, and essential skills can be recorded in the gradebook to monitor progress and provide feedback, but should not be used to penalize a student’s grade.

3. A Culture of Revision – The way we grade motivates students to achieve academic success, supports a growth mindset, and gives students opportunities for redemption. Achievement is not fixed, but rather a process of learning with consistent feedback and opportunities for growth.

4. Timely and Actionable Feedback with Transparent Reporting – The way we grade is timely,  transparent, and understandable so that every student knows their progress towards mastering standards, and next steps to improve their performance.

5. Build Essential Skills – Our grading practices distinguish and connect the means for learning effectively (the “essential skills,” the practice, the mistakes) from its ends: academic success. Students are active collaborators in their own learning, partnering with teachers to ensure understanding of learning standards in a way that is transparent and responsive. 

Grades for Achievement

1. Grades will reflect a student’s progress toward a mastery of standards and desired outcomes as defined by the ECSD Curricular Frameworks and/or the Colorado state standards using a  0-4 scale. 

2. Teachers are expected to provide supporting data for grades earned. Grades shall reflect an adequate sampling of work for each standard to justify the earned grade.

3. In all aspects of grading and reporting, it is critical that teachers record accurate and timely information to families. Grades should reflect earned levels of achievement consistently and fairly. It is not appropriate to inflate a student’s grade nor to create artificially high standards for a particular student. 

4. In some rare cases, students with a current Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be given modified standards in grading if it is written in their IEP. Case managers will be closely involved in these situations.  

5. Grades shall be available and kept current for family and student monitoring through PowerSchool. Teachers are expected to update grades on a regular basis.. 

Other Grades

1. No Grade (NG) may be used for students who have been enrolled for 10 days or fewer prior to a marking period. This does not negatively or positively impact a student’s GPA.

2. An incomplete (I) is given only when a student’s work is not finished because of illness or other excused absence at the end of a marking period. A student is given a minimum of one day for each absence or up to ten days to complete make-up work. A teacher may allow more time as needed. 

3. Pass (P) and Fail (F) may be used in rare circumstances when there are not clear standards for achievement or proficiency and/or if a student is participating in a grade level course but working on individualized goals for Extended Outcomes. In these situations, teachers will provide written, objective criteria for granting a passing grade. Criteria will be clearly communicated by the teacher to students and parents at the beginning of the course.

Proficiency is determined using district wide consistent proficiency scales based on course standards. Proficiency scales articulate learning progressions for priority standards. They describe how students’ understanding of a topic develops over time. ECSD curriculum teams communicate prioritized standards and proficiency scales in the curriculum frameworks in order to provide consistent expectations across the district. 

1. Grades are based on student demonstration of proficiency of course content standards at grade level rigor. Some supplemental or remediation classes may base proficiency on individual student goals and growth and/or Essential Skills. 

2. Grades recorded shall follow the grading rubrics in order to be consistent and fair across grades and contents. Proficiency is represented by a 3 or above using the 0-4 scale.

3. Different forms of evidence can be used by teachers to determine a student’s level of proficiency based on academic standards such as, assessment data, class assignments, projects, performances, etc. 

4. Clear learning targets and criteria for success shall be explicitly communicated to students (and families when appropriate). 

Formative and Summative Assessments

Successful schools engage students in all aspects of their learning. One such strategy is to balance both summative and formative classroom assessment practices and information gathering about student learning. The more information we have about students, the clearer the picture we have about achievement and where gaps in learning may occur. In a balanced assessment system, both summative and formative assignments are an integral part of information gathering. 

Formative Assessments

Formative assessment is an important part of the instructional process. When successfully incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening, at a point when timely adjustments can be made. Formative assessment is student practice, student involvement and providing meaningful feedback between teacher, student and task. Research shows student involvement and ownership of their work increases a student’s motivation to learn. In addition, meaningful feedback can be the most significant instructional strategy to move students forward in their learning. Descriptive and meaningful feedback provides students with an understanding of what they are doing well and gives specific input on how they can reach the next step in their learning progression.  It is an assessment FOR learning. While these activities directly impact a student’s success, they are not used to calculate the final overall course grade unless they fairly demonstrate student learning toward the standard. 

Summative Assessments

Summative assessments evaluate student learning, knowledge, proficiency, or success after an instructional period, a unit, learning target, etc. Summative assessments can occur at any time during a unit, which could include using a body of evidence to demonstrate proficiency of skills rather than one large task. Summative assessments should begin with the end in mind. It is an assessment OF learning. These assignments, assessments and activities are used to determine a student’s overall final course grade. 

• All summative assessments need a clear learning objective that is rooted in content skills and standards

• Can be “chunked” and made into smaller mini-summative assessments

• Have a set of guiding questions that reveal content mastery 

• Use rubrics to communicate feedback of standard mastery

• Should be given after adequate formative work

• Should offer variety for demonstration of knowledge (visually, linguistically, verbally etc.)

• Should allow for student and teacher reflection to promote revision

 

Grades are recorded and communicated to students and families using PowerSchool. In the standards-based grade book, standards are organized in levels. Teachers only assess students on the most granular level (most specific skills/knowledge), which may be referred to as the “evidence outcomes” or “assessed standards.” Teachers report student proficiency on these standards by creating assignments and attaching one or more standards to the assignments. When entering scores, teachers enter a student’s proficiency level for each standard attached to an assignment rather than provide an overall grade for the assignment.

Over the duration of a grading period, a particular standard may be assessed multiple times. The grade book will utilize the most recent score on a standard in its overall calculation for the course grade. With a culture of revision as a pillar of standards-based grading, the most recent score for a given standard should represent a student’s current level of proficiency. Teachers maintain the ability to override a standard score, dependent upon their body of evidence.  

Course grades will be calculated by averaging the most recent score for each assessed standard in that course. The scores for assessed standards will also average together and “roll-up” to calculate scores for the higher level standards.

General Grading Scale 

Teachers will develop specific Proficiency Scales based on their grade level and course content.

Proficiency Level	Descriptor	Numerical Score
Exemplary	Consistently and independently* demonstrates proficiency of the grade level standard; and Provides evidence of high level thinking using content concepts and skills; or Transfers and/or synthesizes concepts and skills applying them to different situations or contexts	4
Meeting	Consistently and independently* demonstrates proficiency of the grade level standard  Applies knowledge and skills to ideas and processes in familiar situations	3
Developing	Demonstrates developing proficiency in the grade level standard Approaches understanding of concepts and skills Works toward independence, sometimes needs teacher intervention	2
Beginning	Demonstrates limited proficiency in the grade level standard, concepts, and skills Usually needs additional teacher intervention	1
No Evidence	No evidence of meeting standard yet	0

Essential Skills are important skills that not only help students access content, but also support them in becoming successful in their postsecondary careers and as productive global citizens.. While these skills directly impact a student’s success, they are not used to calculate the final overall course grade in content classes. Some classes such as Tutorial use these Essential Skills as their standards.

Teachers will provide instruction, support and feedback to students as to how to successfully engage in the Essential Skills within their specific content areas.

• Communicator – Communicates experiences, ideas, information, and feelings effectively through verbal and non-verbal language, media, art, and data, as well as listening to others’ experiences, ideas, and feelings. Communicators use literacy, numeracy, and computational thinking skills to interpret and create new understanding from spoken language and writing, and from a wide variety of visual representations and media.

  • Media Literacy

  • Digital Literacy

  • Data Literacy

  • Interpersonal communication

 

• Problem Solver – Generates, evaluates, and implements solutions to problems. A capable decision-maker can identify alternatives, think computationally, and weigh trade-offs to make well-reasoned decisions and solutions individually or in collaboration with others.

  • Critical Thinking and Analysis

  • Collaboration and Teamwork

  • Creativity and Innovation

  • Adaptability and Flexibility

 

• Community Member – Demonstrates concern for the welfare of others, for cultural resources, and for the natural world. Community members are respectful and inclusive, consider multiple perspectives, and honor others regardless of differences.

  • Civic Engagement

  • Global and Cultural Awareness

  • Social Awareness

 

• ​​Empowered Individual – Empowered to make a difference by understanding strengths and limitations, acting on curiosity, taking leadership roles, demonstrating respect and responsibility, taking informed risks, and persisting in the face of challenges.

  • Self Awareness

  • Self Management

  • Perseverance and Resilience

  • Self Advocacy and Initiative

  • Career Awareness

 

Make-Up Work

Students who miss school work because of excused or unexcused absences shall be given the opportunity to make up missed work. Students will, at the minimum, be allowed one day to make up work for each day missed up to ten days. The teacher may allow more time as needed.  Although the school staff is obligated to facilitate the make-up work process, the prime responsibility for assuring work is completed in a timely manner lies with the student and family.  Students should access digital resources such as Schoology and PowerSchool to support their learning when absent.  It should also be understood that there are activities and instruction that happen in the classroom that are experiential and cannot be recreated or made-up by the student. 

Late Work and Missing Assignments

Students will be allowed to turn in late work with no content grade penalty up to a minimum of three weeks. Teachers may choose to accept missing assignments past three weeks if it is in the best interest of student learning. Students who habitually turn work in late may be referred to possible interventions including tutoring, support classes, study club, etc. 

Culture of Revision

Revision is a natural part of the learning process and is expected that students engage in revision to further their learning.  Students will be encouraged to improve their understanding of content standards within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the student and teacher. This new demonstration of learning will take place at an agreed upon time and date between the student and teacher. Upon demonstration of improved learning, only the new score will factor into the final course grade (the two scores will not be averaged). The student and teacher may agree upon an alternative means of assessment to demonstrate improved understanding and will only re-assess the specific content standards that the student has not yet mastered.

In order to demonstrate readiness for a retake or revision, it is best practice for one or more of the following activities to be completed. These activities may be determined by the teacher, but should support the learning and not be punitive in nature:

• Complete any missing formative assignments

• Use of Learning Trackers

• Provide evidence of further studying (notes, flashcards, study guides, etc.)

• Complete test corrections

• Attend study sessions

• Other as determined by the teacher

The majority of students receiving special education services receive the same district curriculum and assessments as the general education students. The exceptions are students in moderate to significant need settings receiving a modified curriculum as indicated in their Individual Education Plan (IEP). Students receiving special education services are ALL eligible to receive regular classroom accommodations in addition to the more individualized accommodations listed in their IEP. General education teachers are a part of the IEP team and should confer regularly with case managers regarding the progress of the student. Case managers should make available to the general education teachers the student’s accommodations, modifications, strengths and challenges and be available for consultation and support as needed. 

Students receiving special education services will be graded using the BCMS grading policy and rubrics against the state standards and/or the district curriculum with appropriate accommodations per their IEP. Students receiving special education services may be graded on a Pass/Fail system and/or be graded toward their progress on their IEP goals and objectives as appropriate. Grades for Support and Intervention classes are based on skills that will support students in reaching proficiency in content classes outlined in CDE’s Essential Skills. Additionally, growth will be monitored and reported in the students’ targeted areas of need. Proficiency of content area standards do not impact students’ final grades in order to not penalize students for being below grade-level proficiency. 

Accommodations and Modifications

Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies when planning instruction for students receiving special education services so that they may successfully access the grade level content or goals and objectives specific to that student.

An accommodation is a change in the curriculum, delivery, activity, assignment, setting or student response, etc. which DOES NOT fundamentally alter or lower the standard of expectation for the course, standard or assessment. A student receiving these accommodations would be eligible to receive a score of 4 or 3  if earned. 

A modification is a change in the curriculum, delivery, activity, assignment, setting or student response, etc. which DOES fundamentally alter or lower the standard of expectation for the course, standard or assessment.  When modifications are made for students, their grades show progress towards their modified prioritized standards using a modified proficiency scale. 

When possible, it is advised the general education teacher and case manager consult with each other when making these determinations.  The teacher of record is ultimately the one that makes the final determination.

Eagle County School District’s mission for the English Language Development (ELD) program is to provide all English Language Learners (ELL) with support in becoming fluent in English and access to high academic standards, while incorporating a student’s native language and culture for a global society. Administrators and teachers will be responsible for ensuring ELL students are appropriately placed in language and academic support classes. Placement in support classes will be based on ACCESS/WIDA scores and careful consideration of other data such as classroom performance, teacher observation and other summative assessment data. 

Students who are identified at language proficiency levels of 1-4 as determined by ACCESS qualify for ELD services. Students identified at levels 5-6 receive monitoring and consultative support. BCMS provides both ELD and Dual Language services and ALL staff have a part in educating all students. ELD teachers should make available to the general education teachers the student’s language levels, strengths and challenges and be available for consultation and support as needed. 

Language scaffolds and sheltered strategies make the grade level classroom content accessible for ELL students. Teachers use scaffolds to purposefully lessen the language load in order for students to learn content while keeping the curriculum intact. Scaffolds alone are not an ELD program, but when used with the support classes can have a profound effect on student learning. 

If a scaffold DOES NOT fundamentally alter or lower the standard of expectation for the course, standard or assessment, a student would be eligible to receive a score of 3 or 4 if earned. Rarely should an ELL student have a temporarily modified curriculum but if a scaffold DOES fundamentally alter or lower the standard of expectation for the course, standard or assessment, a student may receive a score lower than a 4. The ultimate goal should be to provide scaffolds that do not decrease rigor. When possible, it is advised the general classroom teacher and ELD teacher consult with each other when making these determinations.  The teacher of record is ultimately the one that makes the final determination.  

Grades for Support and Intervention classes are based on skills that will support students in reaching proficiency in content classes outlined in CDE’s Essential Skills. Additionally, growth will be monitored and reported in the students’ targeted areas of need. Proficiency of content area standards do not impact students’ final grades in order to not penalize students for being below grade-level proficiency. 

BCMS recognizes the unique academic needs of Advanced Learners such as those identified as Gifted/Talented (GT), or high achieving. Teachers should develop guidelines and parameters for meeting these needs through the curriculum and instruction these students receive. These needs may be met through enrichment activities or through an advanced course of study. 

Enrichment opportunities may include but are not limited to:

• Long-term projects/project based learning

• Compacted curriculum

• Extended written work

• More challenging reading materials

• Independent study and/or student-directed assignments

• Assignments requiring the use of specific technology

• Community based projects

• More complex/challenging 

Assignments should be differentiated and students should be  given a choice when appropriate. For example a student might demonstrate their level of understanding by writing a screenplay about a topic of study rather than the standard assigned essay given to the rest of the class. 

Students in advanced classes (Advanced Math, Math I, Exploratory) should expect a more rigorous and self-directed curriculum with high levels of expectation for quality work, but should not be expected to merely do extra work or spend excessive amounts of time on homework. As with all students, the assigned activities should be meaningful and directly related to standards and course outcomes. 

Advanced learners, students in advanced courses and students identified as GT will be graded using the grading policy and rubrics against the state standards and/or the district provided curriculum with appropriate differentiation per their individual learning needs. 

BCMS requires all students to demonstrate academic honesty so teachers have an accurate record of student learning. BCMS views academic dishonesty as inappropriate behavior and as a violation of the District student code of conduct, our values of PRIDE and of our Essential Skills. Academic dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism involves any attempt by a student to substitute the work of another as their own. This policy covers all school related tests, quizzes, presentations,  essays, assignments and projects.

Teachers have a responsibility to educate students on what academic dishonesty is and how to avoid it so unintentional acts can be minimized. 

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:

Cheating

• Obtaining information from another student during a test or quiz

• Communicating information to another student during a test or quiz

• Knowingly allowing another student to copy one’s work

• Copying another student’s work and using it as your own work

• Using an unauthorized electronic device to search for or transmit answers

• Taking a test for another student

• Sharing answers unless specifically allowed by a teacher

• Misreporting, creating or altering the data in a lab or research project

• Allowing anyone else to do your work for you

Plagiarism

• Presenting the ideas, words or creative product of another as your own without giving proper credit or citation.

Other

• Stealing or attempting to steal a text or quiz answer key

• Intentionally and negatively impacting another student’s or teacher’s performance (creating a distraction, tampering with equipment).

• Sabotaging or destroying the work of others

• Altering or changing any gradebook scores or forging signatures 

• Intentionally helping another student commit any act of academic dishonesty

Actions for Academic Dishonesty

A teacher who has evidence that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred shall, after speaking with the student and parent, take one of the following actions:

• The student will re-do the assignment/test for full credit

• The student will do an alternative assignment or test for full credit

In addition a teacher may also take one of the following actions:

• The student will be referred to administration for a behavior referral. Administration will determine the appropriate consequence  based on the specifics of the incident. Consequences may range from a warning up to suspension. Repeated offenses are subject to increasing levels of consequence.

 

Overall course content grades are compiled each week while school is in session and communicated with teachers and coaches/sponsors. Students earning a 2.0 or higher will be considered passing their classes and academically eligible to participate in sports and other after-school activities and clubs. Please note that while students are passing at a 2.0 or higher, proficiency is a 3.0 or higher. We encourage all of our students to continue to work toward proficiency. 

Students earning two 1.5’s or lower in any overall course content grade will be on Academic Probation and possibly ineligible for one week (Monday-Sunday). Students will be encouraged to participate in any academic support opportunities as provided by staff (lunch bunch, study club, goal setting tutoring, etc.). 

Student athletes who are on Academic Probation may work with their teachers and coaches in order to participate but must accurately fill out the Eligibility Appeal form in order to be eligible for participation. 

Ways to demonstrate satisfactory learning and become eligible:

• Complete eligible missing work and receive teachers’ signatures indicating completion

• Revise or retake assessments or assignments

• Attend the Academic Probation goal setting sessions and make plans as to how you will demonstrate learning

• Attend at least one Study Club when in session or meet with your teacher to discuss your learning

The staff of Berry Creek Middle school believes all instructional practices need to be grounded in sound research and need to increase student learning. Some teachers assign homework and some do not, but regardless of how much homework a student receives, it is considered a formative practice and does not calculate into the overall final course grade. 

Please see the following information regarding Homework at Berry Creek and some common misconceptions:

Misconception #1: Berry Creek’s homework policy is “No Homework”  

Teachers at Berry Creek are not mandated to assign a certain number of minutes of homework per night, nor are they directed to not give any homework.  The only directive that teachers are given regarding homework is that if they assign homework it must be purposeful, engaging and meaningful.  (We use the article “5 Good Hallmarks of Homework” as our guide, below is the link to this)  

• 5 Hallmarks of Good Homework

Oftentimes the work that students are asked to do at home is a continuation of the work they began in class.  

Misconception #2:  Homework is bad OR homework is good.  

Neither statement is completely true, that is why we allow our teachers to make professional decisions as to when and if homework is an effective strategy to increase student learning.   The question we pose ourselves is not whether we should assign homework or not, but rather how can we make sure that whatever we ask students to do is purposeful, meaningful and effective. 

Below is a link to an article regarding the balance of homework and the pros and cons.

• Why Homework Should be Balanced

Misconception #3:  Berry Creek teachers assign very little homework because the students just won’t do it. 

We have very high expectations for our students.  If there was strong research proving that homework was a high-yield strategy in terms of increasing student achievement we would do everything in our power to ensure all students did it.  The research just isn’t there.  There is evidence that homework can be beneficial at high school, with some effectiveness at middle school and very little benefit at elementary school.

Students are encouraged to read outside of school and to practice Math skills on a regular basis to help with achieving grade level proficiency.   

Misconception #4:  Homework is the only way to teach responsibility and executive function skills.  

Homework can instill in some students the importance of being responsible, but for others it can create a greater divide and develop poor habits.  We do not want students practicing the wrong way at home, nor do we want students to find ways around completing the work (academic dishonesty).

Another misconception is because our teachers typically do not assign a tremendous amount of homework it means we don’t value the importance of study habits.  We very much value executive function skills and realize they are important to academic success.  Because of this we implement many strategies at school to facilitate and stress the need for these skills.  

Below are a few examples of this work:

• Focused Note taking strategies- Many teachers have taken time to teach students different strategies for taking notes as an effective study skill.  All teachers implement some form of focused note taking as an important way to record and interact with content.

• Revision- All teachers allow students to revise any assessment.  This instills in students the work ethic of perseverance and going above and beyond expectations.

• Organization-  Grade level teams encourage all students to organize and maintain a binder system to keep track of their resources.  Organization is a key to effective study habits.  

• Implementation of Growth Mindset philosophies- We stress to students that abilities and intelligence can be changed through effort and actions.  No one is “stuck” where they are unless they choose to stay stuck.  Working hard and persevering through setbacks are actions that can help students increase achievement. 

• Self-directed learning and goal setting-  Teachers work with students around goal setting in classes and understanding clearly what the expectations are.  We encourage students to choose the strategies that work best for them in terms of achieving their goals.  Sometimes these strategies are homework, and sometimes they are working with teachers after school.  Often times they are practicing note taking and organization in the classroom.  

• Self-Regulation Skills- One way to teach self-regulation is to have students practice control by concentrating for short periods of time with the goal of building up to longer, more sustained periods of time as the year progresses. Our Away for the Day policy also supports building self-regulation and eliminating distractions. 

• Essential Skills- We ask students to self-reflect and set goals for their Essential Skills and teachers give feedback on Essential Skills both formally and informally. 

In summary, our philosophy as a school in regards to homework (and all our educational practices) is grounded in research.  We empower our teachers to make decisions in their classrooms as to what strategies will be most effective in increasing student learning.  Sometimes homework is an effective strategy for certain assignments and students, and sometimes it is not.  The majority of research points to very little direct correlation between student achievement and homework at the middle level.  

A lack of homework should not be construed as a lack of rigor or high expectations.  Our teachers work diligently to design high-level tasks for students to interact with during the school day. 

If you feel your student can specifically benefit from more practice with a certain subject at home, I encourage you to reach out to that teacher and ask for help with resources.  Our teachers would be happy to point you in the direction of skill sheets, websites, online programs and other resources.