Grading and Report Card Procedures  

Student report cards are issued every 9 weeks. A student must have been enrolled 20 school days to receive grades for that quarter. These grade reports are distributed four times per school year, or quarterly.

Kindergarten - 3rd Grade

The marking code is not connected to numerical grades. Progress is reported as follows:

• E = Exceeds grade level expectations.
• M = Meets grade level expectations
• S = Steady progress towards grade level expectations
• L = Limited Progress towards grade level expectations
  
  

Grades 4 - 8

The marking code is connected to a numerical scale as follows: 

• 90-100 = A
• 80-89 = B
• 70-79 = C
• 60-69 = D
• 59 and below = F (Failing)
  
  

This marking code is used in the major subject areas of Language Arts & Reading, Mathematics, and Social Studies may also be further noted with a plus (+) or minus (-).

The Learning Skills for grades K-5 are marked with any of the following:

• 1 = Consistently Observed
• 2 = Occasionally Observed
• 3 = Infrequently Observed
  
  

Mid-quarter progress reports are distributed as a means of communicating progress for those students at risk of receiving a D or F, at the end of the quarterly marking period. Parents are encouraged to contact their child's teacher at any time during the school year for a conference to discuss progress, questions, or concerns. DoDEA grading policies and procedures are established at the DoDEA headquarters, not at the local level.

It is the responsibility of the teacher, under the supervision of the Principal, to determine the instructional level of students in reading and mathematics. Once these levels are determined, it is also the teacher's responsibility to ensure that all assigned work shall be within the students' instructional level. The assumption is made that if a student is properly placed at his/her instructional, he/she will be able to successfully complete the required work. If a student's grade(s) are a D, at or after midterm, the classroom teacher must notify the parent/guardian of the drop in grades and discuss a plan for improvement.

Gradespeed 

Gradespeed is the DoDEA adopted program for teachers' of grades 4 through 12 to submit and post grades into the Student Information System. The Gradespeed program offers many special features, including Parent Connection for teacher reporting, and teacher-to-parent communications. Gradespeed's Parent Connection gives parents online access to their child‛s grades via the web. Each parent can request his or her own account. 

The grade scale in Gradespeed is: 

• A+ = 100, A = 96, A- = 92
  
• B+ = 89, B = 86, B- = 82
  
• C+ = 79, C = 76, C- = 72
•  D+ = 69
  
  

Students can create their own Gradespeed account at https://dodea.gradespeed.net/pc/studentlogin.aspx. 

Each school has a brochure with specific directions on how to set up an account. Schools that will be using GradeSpeed during 2012-2013 school year are:

• Dexter Elementary School,
  
• Stowers Elementary School
  
• Maxwell Elementary/Middle School
  
  

myDATA Button Portal

The DoDEA myDATA Button Portal is an online tool that allows students, parents, and guardians to monitor DoDEA student's progress and communicate more effectively and efficiently. It provides instant access to DoDEA student grades and other information anytime and anywhere. The portal is intended to improve the availability and use of data to improve student achievement. Participation in the use of the portal is voluntary. Parents and Students have separate portal accounts.  The myDATA Button portal is currently available only to the schools who are participants in the pilot launch of the portal. A phased deployment for all DoDEA will take place no later than school year 2013 – 2014. Read More.  The following GA/AL schools are participating in the pilot:

• Loyd Elementary
• Faith Middle
• McBride Elementary
• White Elementary
• Wilson Elementary
• Fort Rucker Elementary
  
  

Honor Roll

Students in grades 4 - 8 earning A's and B's in the areas of Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening), Math, Science, and Social Studies, qualify for the Honor Roll. These students will be honored with a certificate of achievement following the issuing of report cards on a regular school day.

Principal's Honor Roll

Students in grades 4 - 8 earning academic excellence by making all A's in the areas of Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening), Math, Science and Social Studies, qualify for the Principal's List. These students and their parents will be honored following the issuing of report cards on a regular school day.

Retention Philosophy

The following is an excerpt of an article, which appeared in the March 2008 issue of Educational Leadership as related to research on grade-level retention of students.

There is no educational research which indicates that retention is of value. Most educational research indicates that grade-level retention is a harmful practice when applied to many students.Research does indicate that: 

• Low-achieving students do progress whether they are retained or promoted.
  
• At the end of the repeated grade, retained students' scores on achievement tests are somewhat lower in comparison to their counterparts who have moved to the next grade.
  
• There is no evidence that promoting "underachieving and immature" students contributes to emotional and social problems, and there is no evidence that repeating a grade improves these problems.
  
  

Students who are far behind academically or who have social or emotional problems need special services and individualized educational plans of management as opposed to another year in the same grade. Fortunately, DoDEA is staffed with a large number of specialists to provide specialized and individualized educational services.

Rather than considering grade-level retention, efforts should focus on assuring that students who are markedly underachieving obtain the appropriate services. An individualized plan of management is essential for these students.  The individual student program recognizes each student's ability and level of achievement. Our schools have Student Support Teams (SST) to work with teachers and/or parents making recommendations and suggestions for students to be more successful academically and/or behaviorally.

In rare cases, a parent may request consideration for the retention of a student. Documentation of resource utilization and intervention must be submitted with all retention requests. The SST will be utilized as a Placement Committee to make recommendations to the Principal who makes the final decision. The SST can also work closely with parents, teachers and the Special Education Child Study Committee (CSC) to determine through testing if the child needs special services should that be a conclusion of need.