Updated District Grading Policies in
Light of the Long-Term School Closure

Consistent with OSD’s established Distance Learning Guiding Principles and OSPI’s April 21 Grading Guidance Publication, this framework ensures equity, access, and individual student/family circumstances are considered when assigning final grades for high school coursework.  

OSD is committed to providing every student the opportunity to continue to engage in learning through the remainder of the school year. We encourage and expect students to engage in the learning activities provided by teachers. While it is important for learning to continue, we also want to ensure that students’ final grades are not negatively affected by the school closures.  To that end, we are instituting a “do no harm” policy for the district.

Grades 7-12 students taking credit-bearing high school level work will be graded using the following principles:

• All students will get an opportunity to improve their grades with their March 17 status as a baseline.
• No student will receive a “pass,” “fail,” or “no credit” grade for any course.
• Teachers will assign grades or assign an “incomplete” for students who cannot engage in an equitable way. The grades assigned will be on an A, B, or C  scale.  A letter grade of D or F is not an option. 
• Every class taken during the closure period will be given a statewide designator on the transcript.

Feedback is an important part of the learning process. Students will continue to receive meaningful feedback from their teachers. The district will continue to provide opportunities for students to further their education through Google classroom or paper packets. 

OHS and DOHS will adopt the following teaching and learning strategies to determine final course grades:

• Students will continue to receive assignments from their teachers in the continuous learning format mentioned above.  These assignments can only help the student’s grade not harm it.  Students unable to participate will receive the letter grade they had at the time of the closure. For example, if a student had a “B” grade at the start of the closure, the semester grade will also be a “B.”
  
  
• Students who do not meet the minimum passing standard on the OHS/DOHS grading scale will receive an “Incomplete” on their transcript.  Students assigned an “Incomplete” for a course will be given opportunities to re-engage in the learning standards through a menu of local options including, but not limited to:
  
  
• Summer school, courses in the following term or year, independent study,  online courses, or backfilling the incomplete grade with the letter grade obtained in the next course taken in that subject area.
  
  

• Students enrolled in a dual credit course (EWU, CWU, UW, BBCC, AP) will continue to receive instruction as determined by the governing college, university, or College Board.
  

McFarland Middle School will adopt the following grading strategy to determine final course grades:

• Students will continue to receive assignments from their teachers in the continuous learning format mentioned above.  These assignments can only help the student’s grade not harm it. Students unable to participate will receive the letter grade they had at the time of the closure. For example, if a student had a “B” grade at the start of the closure, the semester grade will also be a “B.”
  
  
• Students taking high school level courses will be graded in the same manner as high school students.

Elementary Schools will adopt the following grading strategy to determine final course grades:

• Elementary school report cards will not look the same.  A distance learning progress report will be completed by June 19th. Teachers will record marks for all areas which apply under distance learning circumstances; some areas will not be able to be assessed and will be marked with an asterisk.
  
  
• Currently, there is a work group of K-6 staff and leaders working on what the progress report will entail. We expect to have the details of the progress report by Monday, May 4th. Please check back on this page for more details.