Each week we will be examining different aspects of grades and grading to hopefully demystify this important part of the school experience.
It is every child’s goal (and every parent’s desire) to earn good grades in school. But what is a grade, really? What does a grade truly mean? This year at JMMS, the instructional staff is taking a deep dive into the practice of grading. At its heart, a grade is a communication tool. A tool which communicates how a student is performing in relation to a specific academic standard or learning target. This is why JMMS uses three different categories for grades. Students receive an Academic grade, which represents how a student performs against standards. There is a Work Habits Grade, which communicates how well a student completes their tasks and how much effort they put into schoolwork. The final grade is the Citizenship grade, which relates student behavior, and cooperation.
So if a student completes all tasks on time, and is generally cooperative and well behaved they may receive high marks in Work Habits and Citizenship. But perhaps the student’s work demonstrates that the child still does not understand the content. In this case, even if the student has completed ALL their work on time, they might receive a lower Academic Grade, while earning high marks in Work Habits and Citizenship.
Grades are not a label, and they are not a judgment. They are a means of communication to students and their families about academic performance.
