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Grading Practices

Grading practices at DPMS focus on student learning and provide valuable feedback to students, parents, and teachers. 7th grade is the first year students receive letter grades in the District.

LIfe Skills Grades 

Assess students’ following the Redbird Way at DPMS: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Engaged in Learning. Students are assessed on a scale of 1-4:

  • Respect
  • Follow classroom expectations and directions of all staff
  • Treat others in a kind, considerate manner
  • Work without distracting or disrupting others
  • Responsibility
  • Is on time and prepared for class
  • Complete and turn in assignments on time
  • Contribute to a safe environment for oneself and others
  • Engagement
  • Listen attentively and actively participate in class
  • Put forth his or her best effort
  • Advocate for self when needed    

 Marking Scale:

  • 4 = Independently meets expectations  
  • 3 = Meets expectations with minimal assistance
  • 2 = Partially meets expectations
  • 1 = Does not meet expectations at this time

Formatives 

An assessment to help the teacher ‘check for understanding’ on student learning and inform teaching. Teachers will take formatives and determine the need for reteaching, teaching in a different way, work with small groups, and/or move on to the next learning target. Students do not retake formatives.

Summatives 

An assessment given at the end of a unit of study. Students do have the opportunity to retake a summative assessment, whether written or project based, with the following conditions:

  • Student completes relevant assignments prior to a retake of the summative
  • Student creates a plan, with the teacher,  for the retake within one week of the date of the first summative

At the time of the unit summative assessment, no missing work from the unit will be accepted by the teacher. At this point, it is important for students to engage in current learning and not feel overwhelmed with both catching up and keeping up with learning. Exceptions are made when a student is ill or absent from school.

Check the IC Parent portal periodically to see how your student is progressing in his/her learning.

other notes

  • M = The assignment is Missing
  • T = A teacher will often use a T to note the assignment is ‘Turned In’ but not yet graded. This is used with a project or written paper that may take several days for the teacher to grade. The T becomes a letter grade when the assessment is graded.