Pre-AP English II

Grading Practices

Grades are an important part of a students educational process, and at times, the grade book
alone is not an effective source of communication regarding the knowledge students have
demonstrated. Here is a brief breakdown on grading practices in Pre-AP English II.
Grading Scale
A+ 98-100
A 93-97
A- 89.5-92

B+ 87-89.49
B 83-86
B- 79.5-82

C+77-79.49
C 73-76
C- 69.5-72

D+ 67-69.49
D 63-66
D- 59.5-62

F 59.49 or below

Grading Method
Semester grades are the only grades included on students official transcripts. Semester grades are calculated cumulatively,
using three weighted categories:
1. Practice & Participation (30%)
Students must show that they are engaged learners through practice and participation in class. The expectations for this
category include academic behaviors such as:
contributing to class discussions, asking questions, and demonstrating engagement
completing all assignments to the best of ability
turning in work on time
staying on track with outside reading
At each grading period (mid-term, quarter, semester), the teacher will reflect on the students participation and examine
practice activities for an eventual score on a Practice & Participation rubric. Students will be given an opportunity to
reflect on their participation score as well.
Some assignments in the Practice & Participation category may be listed as Not for Grading in the grade book. These
assignments are not counted as a grade but are valuable practice that will eventually lead to a performance assessment.
They are entered in the grade book for students and parents / guardians to track progress. The Not for Grading
assignments, while not factoring into a students grade individually, are part of the composite Practice & Participation
rubric at every midterm and quarter.
Example: The homework for Monday is for students to complete a subject-verb agreement assignment on No Red Ink, a grammar website.
The teacher will simply check that this assignment is complete on Monday, but in a few weeks, the No Red Ink assignment will be one of
several assignments assessed for completion on the Practice & Participation Rubric. If a student did not complete this homework, the
students grade will then be affected.

2. Performance (60%)
Performance scores will be assigned to individual standards on summative assessments with a specific focus on writing.
Each assessment will be scored on multiple standards. For example, on a single writing assessment, students may receive
scores for the following standards: thesis statement, embedded quotations, commentary, and conclusion.
3. Semester Final (10%)
The final will be comprehensive and will vary in format.

Late Work
The following are the late-work policies which can impact students grades:
Assignments will be graded based on quality, just like those not submitted late. However, for those late
assignments not due to absences (make-up work), there will be a task created in the gradebook that will note the
assignment was submitted late. These late assignments will factor in to the students Practice & Participation
rubric at midterm and quarter.
Example: The homework for Monday is for students to complete a subject-verb agreement assignment on No Red Ink, a grammar
website. If a student does not complete the assignment until Tuesday, it will be checked off just like students who turned the
assignment in on time, but it will receive a LTE (late) note next to it in the grade book. Then, in a few weeks, the No Red Ink
assignment will be one of several assignments assessed for timeliness on the Practice & Participation Rubric. If a student turned
in assignment(s) late, the students grade will be affected.

There will be some non-negotiable deadlines where late work will no longer be accepted (e.g. the end of the
quarter, larger projects / presentations where logistics are an issue, etc.). Mrs. Skoglund will communicate these
deadlines ahead of time.

Revision and Re-Take Opportunities

Students often wonder if there are opportunities to earn higher grades in addition to regular coursework.
Revision: I will offer revision for most major writing assignments as revision is a valuable tool for learning; these
revisions can improve a students initial grade.
Re-Takes: I will offer re-takes on certain performance assessments if a student scores below a 70% so that the
student has the opportunity to demonstrate more knowledge of the material; these re-takes can improve a students
initial grade.

Common Grade Book Codes

Code in Grade Book
NHI
INC
LTE
ABA
ABD

Meaning
Not Handed In
Incomplete
Late
Absent When Assigned
Absent When Due

Communication Regarding Grades

As the teacher, I will regularly communicate with students and parents / guardians regarding grades. I will try to update
grades as soon as possible and will send out progress reports via e-mail approximately every two weeks. When midterm
and quarter grades are approaching, I will also give students the opportunity to check their grades in class.
As the student or parent / guardian, you should also regularly communicate with the teacher regarding grades. If you
have a question or concern, please notify me as soon as possible so that we can communicate and resolve the issue.

Bottom line about grades: if you have a question or concern, do not hesitate to contact me.
Issues are better resolved when we are all proactive and work together!
My e-mail:
jskoglundonw@olatheschools.org