Grading Policies

Grading & Report Cards

The school year is divided into two grading periods (terms). At the end of each term,
students will receive overall grades for all of their classes. Students will receive a
grade for all of the courses they are enrolled in. The grading scale is as follows:

Weighting of Grades
Grades for students enrolled in Advanced Placement (“AP”) and UC approved honors classes are weighted to reflect the greater challenges involved in these courses. In these classes, 1.0 is added to the point value of the letter grade received (e.g., a “B” in an AP class has a point value of 4.0 rather than a 3.0.). Approved honors classes will receive the extra GPA point for the term the class is taken as will be reflected on a student’s transcript. Both GPAs (weighted and unweighted) will be listed on the student’s transcript and class rankings are determined by weighted GPAs.  

Gradebook Categories

Homework
Students are expected to complete all assignments in a timely manner.  Completing homework on time every day allows homework to be assessed for full credit.  If a student fails to complete homework on time your teacher may give you a zero or modify your score based on the grading policy for that course. It is up to the individual teacher to determine when and how they will accept homework. Please consult your teacher at the beginning of the school year for clarification and refer to the syllabus for the specific class.

Extension Policy
Because we are committed to helping all of our students become responsible citizens prepared for success in college, communication is an integral part of our school.  We recognize that under certain circumstances (i.e. sudden illness, family emergencies, natural disasters, etc.) there may be a few times when your homework cannot be completed.  In such rare cases, you may call to ask for an extension on an assignment as early as you know one may be needed. Please remember to call your teacher as early as possible and leave a message if needed. Extensions are not automatic; each teacher may use his/her discretion to grant or not to grant an extension.  When you call for an extension, you are communicating with the teacher to prevent “surprises”; either way, there may be consequences for missing or late work regardless of the reason and your communication steps.  Also, extensions are not designed to excuse poor self-management (leaving books at school, poor planning or misuse of time management, etc.).  Under these conditions, the student should contact the teacher or another teammate to try to find a solution to the situation and submit assignments on time.   

Make Up Work
If a student is absent, it is up to him or her to get any missed assignment from each of their missed classes. You must complete and submit the assignments by the date and time specified by your teacher. In addition, absences occur for a variety of reasons. Consult with your teachers and the course syllabus to determine policies regarding make-up work based on the type of absence. Per the attendance section of this handbook, any work assigned during an excused absence will be excused one day for every excused absence day. It is the responsibility of the student to coordinate all missed assignments and make-up work within this time frame.

Extra Credit
Extra credit can only be made available to the whole class and not to individuals. It is up to the individual teacher to determine the extra credit policy for his or her class.

Eligibility requirements for Athletics & Activities
Please note that all final grades are rounded to the nearest percent. At the official grade check deadlines and dates listed above, a student must meet the following criteria to be eligible for athletics (pg. 24) and/or specified activities (pg. 23):