Longhorn Families,
We have learned that during last night’s Board of Trustees virtual meeting, some of our community members had difficulty viewing the meeting online. CHISD values transparency and encourages the public to attend our meetings and in the most recent case, to view the meeting; the fact that some were unable to do so is unacceptable and disappointing. Please accept our apology.
To ensure our community is informed of the discussions and actions from the April 6 meeting, video of the full online meeting will be posted to chisd.net today. The access issues we experienced during the meeting are being addressed and changes will be made before the next scheduled meeting.
Cedar Hill ISD will continue to design and provide quality instruction for scholars during the (COVID-19) closure. We understand this shift to remote learning has impacted instructional integrity, and we understand that scholars have varying levels of support and instructional resources at home. Our goal is to support academic growth through engaging scholars in quality learning experiences.
While we are utilizing Flex Learning, some adjustments to our typical grading practices have been implemented. All adjustments are designed to benefit and support scholars as they transition to a new format of learning. All scholars will continue to receive their identified accommodations during Flex Learning.
CHISD Grading Policy
The following grading policy will be implemented for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. The updates are broken down by grade level. Please contact your child’s teacher and/or campus administration for further information.
Grades Pre-K – K
Report Cards and Grades
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten scholars are “graded” on a standards/skills-based report card. Teacher-assigned work and lessons will be geared toward improving scholar performance on the appropriate standards and skills. Any changes in commonly used assessments, or the intervals at which they are used, will be communicated directly by the teacher and/or campus administration. Scholars will continue to be assessed using the following categories:
● Satisfactory (3): Scholar participated in lessons/activities and demonstrated satisfactory performance over the final 9 weeks.
● Progressing (2): Scholar participated in lessons/activities and demonstrated progression of skills during the final 9 weeks.
● Needs Improvement (1): Scholar did not participate in lessons/activities during the final 9 weeks.
Pre-kindergarten/Kindergarten report cards are issued every 9 weeks. Report cards for the 3rd Marking Period will be distributed on April 13. The final report card will be distributed the last week of school, as scheduled.
Grades 1st – 5th
Report Cards/Progress Report and Grades
Report cards for the 3rd Marking Period will be distributed on April 13. The final report card will be distributed the last week of school, as scheduled. The final marking period will run from April 6 through May 22, and progress reports will be issued after three weeks.
All assignments will be graded for completion and receive a P=100% or an F=69%
Marking Period grades will be numeric. Semester Two (SM2) grades will be calculated using the following:
(MP3 + MP4)/2 = Semester Average
Teachers and principals will work together to create meaningful assignments aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
Grades 6 – 8: Non-High School Courses
(Middle school students taking courses for high school credit will follow the grading guidelines listed under the “Grades 9-12” section below for those courses.)
Progress Reports and Grades
Progress reports and report cards have been eliminated for the 5th six weeks. The grades scholars receive for the 6th six weeks will be duplicated for their 5th six weeks grade. The 6th six weeks will run from April 6 through May 22, and progress reports will be issued after three weeks. Report cards will be issued at the end of the 6th six weeks.
All assignments will be graded for completion and receive a P=100% or an F=69%
Six weeks grades will be numeric. Semester Two (SM2) grades will be calculated using the following:
(Mp4+Mp5+Mp6)/3 = Semester Average
Teachers and principals will work together to create meaningful assignments aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). No finals will be given.
Grades 9th – 12th
Progress Reports and Grades
Progress reports and report cards have been eliminated for the 5th six weeks. The grades scholars receive for the 6th six weeks will be duplicated for their 5th six weeks grade. The 6th six weeks will run from April 6 through May 22, and progress reports will be issued after three weeks. Report cards will be issued at the end of the 6th six weeks.
All assignments will be graded for completion and receive a P=100% or an F=69%
Six weeks grades will be numeric,Semester Two (SM2) grades will be calculated using the following:
(Mp4+Mp5+Mp6)/3 = Semester Average
Teachers and principals will work together to create meaningful assignments aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). No finals will be given.
GPA and Transcripts
Semester Two (SM2) grades for the 2019-20 school year will not be included in the grade point average (GPA) or class rank calculations for the classes of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The same is true for middle school scholars taking high school credit-bearing courses.
CHISD is conferring with higher education, major scholarship institutions and the NCAA to determine how semester grades will be represented on student transcripts. We will communicate this information when a final decision has been made.
Scholars who had less than a 70 average in a Semester One (SM1) course still have multiple opportunities to capture credit for that course. Scholars and parents are encouraged to contact and work with their teacher and campus administration to explore their options and set a plan to successfully gain credit for the course.
Grade 12 Only
Class Rankings
Class rankings for 2020 seniors will be calculated using the final first semester (SM1) grades, which ended in fall 2019, for the determination of valedictorian, salutatorian and other honors.
As this pandemic continues to unfold, CHISD will re-evaluate our practices, engage our families, and work to ensure that we are providing clear and timely information with our scholars in mind.
Thank you for your ongoing support for Cedar Hill ISD.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gerald B. Hudson
Superintendent of Schools
Cedar Hill Independent School District
