File:  IKA - Grading/Assessment Systems

It is the philosophy of the Board that students will respond more positively to the opportunity for success than to the threat of failure.  The district shall seek, therefore, in its instructional program to make achievement both recognizable and pos-sible for stu-dents.  It shall emphasize achievement in its processes of evaluating student per-formance.

Classroom assessment practices shall be aligned with the district´s content standards and assessment program.  Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process that should occur continuously in the classroom.  The primary purpose of classroom assessment shall be to enable teachers to make instructional decisions for students on a continual basis. 

Students are encouraged to engage in informal self-assessments as they study and attempt to solve problems, monitor their own progress and improve their learning.  Peer grading of student assignments and classroom assessments is permissible.  The intent of this practice is to teach material again in a new context and to show students how to assist and respect fellow pupils.

Grading system

The administration and professional staff shall devise a grading and/or assessment system for evaluat-ing and recording student progress and to measure student performance in conjunction with district content standards.  The records and reports of individual students shall be kept in a form meaningful to parents as well as teachers.  The grad-ing/assessment system shall be uniform district-wide at comparable grade levels.

The Board shall approve the grading, reporting and assessment systems as developed by the faculty, upon recommendation of the superintendent.

The Board recognizes that classroom grading and/or assessment systems, however effec-tive, are subjective in nature but urges all faculty members to conduct student evalua-tions as objectively as possible.

Adopted:  January 2003

LEGAL REFS.:  C.R.S. 22-7-407 (district content standards)

CROSS REFS.:  AEA, Standards Based Education

IA, Instructional Goals and Learning Objectives

IK, Academic Achievement

IL, Evaluation of Instructional Programs, and subcodes

JRA/JRC, Student Records/Release of Information on Students