Tonasket School District
Student Learning and Grading Information
Dear Tonasket School District families,
Student Learning and Grading Information
As we move into our sixth week of teaching and learning in a brand-new format for most of our staff and families, I want to let you know how proud I am of our staff during this unique time we are living through. It is no easy task to move from a face-to-face model to a remote model in a matter of weeks and our entire staff has risen to the occasion wonderfully. Not everything is perfect, but we are continuing to improve each day.
Last week Chris Reykdal, State Superintendent, sent out guidance on Student Learning and Grading for all school districts in the state of Washington. You can access the document at:
Across the state, school districts have approached distance learning in a variety of ways. In Tonasket, we have focused on several key values that are fundamental to our School District Mission of Focused on Learning and Linking Learning to Life.
First, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has stated from the outset that this crisis we are in is first and foremost a health care crisis. Our focus has been to honor this and to practice the value of compassion when working with our staff and families.
Second, our mission strives to focus our efforts on authentic learning. This crisis gives us the opportunity to intently examine our instructional practices; focusing on providing activities and support that help our students and families think more about what they are learning and less about what grade they are earning. Grades are valuable, but they should be a measure of what a student learns, not about the completion of a set of tasks.
Third, we recognize that each household has different resources (time, internet access, etc.), and this greatly impacts the ability of parents to help their children complete learning tasks. We want to honor your unique circumstances and provide flexibility to you and your family in terms of remote learning for this school year.
Because of these values and guidance from the State of Washington, we are taking the following approach to grading:
Do no harm – A student’s grade will not go backwards from the March 17th close of school. (State Decision)
A student’s 4th quarter grade can go up depending on the level of engagement with the learning opportunities provided. (Local Decision)
All K-8 students will move on to the next grade level unless there is a previous mutual agreement in place between parents/guardians and the teacher to repeat a grade. (State Decision)
All students are expected to engage in learning activities. (State Decision)
We recognize that a child’s ability to engage is highly dependent on situations outside of the control of that child. Our expectation, and that of the State of Washington, is that all students are engaged. Our school staff has been guided to do all they can to encourage completion of learning activities, but to also be understanding of each child’s unique circumstances. Some students will be able to complete all of the learning activities while some will not be able to meet that goal. At a minimum, we expect all students to have contact with their teacher in some fashion on a weekly basis. Your teacher(s) will work with you and your child to determine what is reasonable in terms of learning goals during this time of remote learning.
Based on guidance today from OSPI, school is scheduled to be out on June 16th. Schools have a 180 day and 1027 hour requirement from the State of Washington. While we can count our current days of remote learning, there is no method for us to count instructional hours. OSPI has therefore mandated that they will only grant hour requirement waivers for any time beyond 5 days after a district’s scheduled last day of school. Seniors, however, can waive an additional 5 days based on current law so their last day will be June 9th.
The district will also continue food delivery through the last day of school on June 16th.
We are all working together as a community to make it through this health care crisis. We appreciate your continued partnership as we navigate these uncharted waters.
Sincerely,
Steve McCullough
Tonasket School District Superintendent
Grading Specifics for Each School:
Elementary School
All students will pass to the next grade level, unless there is a previous mutual agreement in place between parents/guardians and the teacher to repeat a grade.
All grades from Trimester 2 will carry over to Trimester 3
No harm grading: will not be penalized for lack of participation
Students will have the opportunity to improve grades if they demonstrate growth/mastery.
High School/Middle School
For students in 6-12 grades, 3rd quarter grades will be the student’s grade of record for 2nd semester.
Students can improve their current grades by completing assignments during the 4th quarter. Student grades cannot go backwards. There will be no “F” grades given for the 4th quarter.
Students can receive an incomplete grade. An incomplete will be given if a student failed any classes during 3rd quarter and did not engage in any learning activities during 4th quarter.
We can give options for making up an incomplete grade this summer or even into next year.
We can also backfill grades based on a student's proficiency of standards next year.
Middle and high school students with incompletes will be further considered for intervention classes in the 2020-21 school year to backfill missed content.
Students can receive the following grades for the 2nd semester: A, B, C, D, or incomplete.
- Teachers will evaluate any work turned in and provide feedback. Work completed from March 17th through June 16th can improve a grade.