BIG HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL

GRADING OVERVIEW
This is a short summary of our grading plan for the 2020 - 2021 school year.

PURPOSE: OUR 'WHY?'

The purpose of grades at Big Hollow Middle School is to accurately,
reliably, and efficiently communicate student learning to teachers,
parents, and students. In short, grades should reflect what a student
currently knows and can do while pointing to areas where more support
or practice is needed. Grades should be determined based on evidence,
rather than calculated based on arbitrary formulas.

SKYWARD GRADEBOOK
Learner Characteristics- 0% Students will be graded on
Classwork/Homework - 0% learning. Behaviors, participation,
attendance, and effort will not be
Formatives - 20% 
included in academic grades;
Summatives - 80% 
instead, separate methods will be
***All assignments out of 10 possible points*** used to communicate student
progress in these areas.

UNDERSTANDING FORMATIVE &

SUMMATIVE GRADES
Formative Practice Summative Assessment
(Classwork/Homework) Formative Assessment These assessments represent the culmination
Formative practice is the daily classwork and of weeks of practice and feedback. They are
Once students have had opportunities to
homework that prepares students for future the 'final' measure of a student's level of
practice a skill (through practice), they will mastery. Because no learning is ever truly
assessments. Practice is not graded formally
receive feedback through formative 'final', students are always be given quality
because students have not had enough time
assessments. The purpose is to provide feedback and opportunities to continue
to fail, receive feedback, and revise. Instead, practicing and reassess. A summative
feedback on how the student’s skills are
students receive feedback on their practice in assessment can be any activity that shows the
progressing prior to completing summative
class. We enter practice into Skyward so that students’ skills: project, lab report,
assessments. They represent a checkpoint
you can see if your child is completing the demonstration, speech, essay, paper, test, etc.
on the way to a summative assessment.
practice or not.

PERFORMANCE LEVEL
DESCRIPTORS
The following table outlines the terms we use to describe student mastery of
learning targets.

Exceeds
Exceeding does not mean that a student has simply
scored 'high' on a traditional test.

Instead, a student who earns an ‘exceeds’ has gone

above and beyond grade level expectations. This could
mean that the student has mastered the standard at a
higher grade level. However, it could also mean that
the student has done something unique, creative, and
outside of the assigned learning. In some situations, it
could mean that a student has led (or taught) other
students in learning. Exceeds criteria will look different
in each content area.

BIG HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL BILT GRADING SUBCOMMITTEE

Scott Whipple James Buckwalter
Sarah Abel Annie Wahls
Heather Fischer Stephanie Meek
Kori Dicken Adrian Peyrot
Stephanie Cullotta Rachel Mullen
 BIG HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL

MISSING
BIG ASSIGNMENTS

GRADING OVERVIEW
HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL

GRADING OVERVIEW PAGE 2

(page 2)

REASSESSMENT
Students will have the opportunity to revise work on Formative and Summative
Assessments without penalty by requesting to reassess.

Before a retake, students will be asked to

Retaking assessments allows students to
learn at different rates and provides
additional opportunities to reach
mastery. All students can request to
reassess regardless of the score earned.
Teachers can also initiate the re-learning
process and request reassessment.
complete additional related practice (this
could be missing classwork/homework
and/or formative assessments) and meet
with their teacher to complete the BHMS
Request to Reassess form.
During this conference, a plan will be
created for the student. Once they have
met the criteria they can reassess.
*Request to reassess may be initiated
within one week upon return of
assessment
*No reassessments will be acepted
within one week of the end of the
trimester

MISSING AND LATE WORK

Late work will be accepted without penalty; however, some deadlines will be
established for the purposes of reporting at the end of each trimester.

Formative Practice Formative & Summative Assessments

Will be in a "no count" 0% category in Will initially be marked with no score and missing if
Skyward not completed. Teacher will work with students to
encourage them to complete the missing Formative
Will either be left blank if the student or Summative Assessment.
completed the formative practice or marked After one week the incomplete assessment will be
missing if the student did not complete it marked 50% (5) in Skyward and will remain that
score until the student has completed the
assessment.
Assessments that remain incomplete at the end of
the grading period or trimester will have the score
of 5 or Incomplete; showing that there is insufficient
evidence to assess the standard.

LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS
Learner characteristics are the skills, behaviors, habits, and overall mindset that
enable students to succeed academically.

Academic grades should be used for the purposes of Organization

communicating the level of proficiency on a particular standard, Student can consistently locate documents and
rather than as a punishment or consequence for non- resources. Student creates their own system for
compliance. Behavior should not impact academic grades. managing documents and resources.

Student responds and sends emails in a timely manner.
Teachers will provide students/parents with feedback
on student mastery of learner characteristics at the
end of each month. This feedback will be reported out
through separate assignments on Skyward, one for
each of the Learner Characteristic categories to the
right.
There will be a separate category on Skyward for
‘Learner Characteristics’, which will be weighted at 0%.
These ‘assignments’ will be listed as ‘no count’, as
behaviors should not impact academic grades.
Teachers will use the ‘performance level descriptors’ to
convert feedback into grades on Skyward.
Digital Accountability
Student creates or requests online sessions and
manages all passwords without assistance.
Work Habits
Student consistently brings needed materials and uses
them as directed. Student consistently uses time
effectively (stays on task) and as directed. Student
consistently uses computer/device effectively.
Community Awareness
Student consistently respects others and their
belongings.
Participation
Student consistently participates in class activities and
partner/group activities.

These will be posted by the first of each month.

BIG HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL BILT GRADING SUBCOMMITTEE

Scott Whipple James Buckwalter
Sarah Abel Annie Wahls
Heather Fischer Stephanie Meek
Kori Dicken Adrian Peyrot
Stephanie Cullotta Rachel Mullen