Grading Practices

Grading practices for middle and high school students

Staff at middle and high schools throughout Bend-La Pine Schools are working to increase the accuracy and consistency of grades. The goal is for students’ grades to more accurately reflect what they know and can do in relation to content they are expected to learn. Ultimately, we believe grades should be accurate, transparent, resistant to bias, and motivational to students. We want students and families to clearly understand why a student received a grade and trust that it is an accurate portrayal of their academic abilities.

We believe this work will better prepare our students to be college- and career-ready as we shift the focus from acquiring points to deep and meaningful learning. Any changes made will help further our high expectations for students, now and for their futures.

Pillars of Grading

Pillars of grading

As a district we will be working to ensure all grading practices share the following traits, which we are labeling as our pillars.

In Bend-La Pine Schools, grades will be:

  • Accurate
  • Transparent
  • Bias-Resistant
  • Motivational

It is important to note that grading systems are much more than the report card or final grade. We plan to examine and improve all the components that lead to that final letter. This will be accomplished by reviewing and changing practices: reporting academic achievement separate from behaviors, aligning assessment and grading exclusively to standards, prioritizing the most recent evidence of learning, and allowing for editing and resubmission of work.

A team of secondary teachers, administrators, and educational professionals from our schools have met frequently over the past two years to review evidence-based practices and recommend updates to our grading system. As a result, Bend-La Pine Schools are advancing toward standards-based grading over the next several years. On the right sidebar you will find a timeline of our work and a FAQ that will address common questions we expect our families to have.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit the Grading Practices FAQ website for answers to common questions.

Timeline

2021-22 School Year

Equitable Grading Team is formed in collaboration with Bend Education Association. Equitable Grading Recommendations are shared.

2022-23 School Year

  • Priority Standards are developed for major courses in language arts, math, science, social sciences, and world language.
  • Teaching staff receive professional development on best practices in grading.
  • Teacher/schools have discretion on current grading systems:
    • 100 point scale (50% floor recommended)
    • 0-4 scale
    • District approved standards-based scale.

2023-24 School Year

  • Priority Standards are developed for other courses in language arts, math, science, social sciences, and world language, as well as fine and performing arts and career and technical education.
  • Teaching staff receive additional professional development on best practices in grading, including the use of priority standards.
  • Teacher and building discretion on current grading systems>
    • 100 point scale (50% floor required)
    • Removal of full 0-100 point scale
    • 0-4 scale
    • District approved criterion-based scale.

2024-25 School Year

  • All schools will use a 0-4 scale and some sites may begin standards-based grading.
  • Teaching staff receive additional professional development on best practices in grading, including the use of priority standards.
  • Best practices in grading will be seen in a majority of classrooms.

2025-26 School Year

  • Full scale switch to priority standards-based grading (0-4 scale).