What's Happening In Conway
4/28/2020
Updates
Dear Cougar Families,
I want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this global health crisis. Our teachers have been working hard to create learning experiences for students and work through our transition from traditional in-person school to our current model.
Our goal at Conway is to lessen the burden on families by providing structure and resources.
This last week we received additional guidelines and new state rules around continuous student learning and grading practices. I would like to share a few of the key points from the state as well as how Conway will put those guidelines into practice.
The state has shared the following goals around ensuring equity in school practices.
"Education policies, practices, and decisions impact students. Washington’s decisions on student learning and grading should lessen, not ignore or worsen, disparities."
"Grades K-8 students will move on to the next grade. Districts will determine the means to provide feedback on the key standards taught throughout the closure."
What does that mean for Conway?
3rd Trimester Grading for K-8 Students (except Algebra and Wa. St. History - see below)
Teachers will to continue to engage students throughout the closure. We understand that every student is in a different situation and it may be more difficult for some students to engage in the learning. Our staff will provide both online learning experiences and offline (packets) for students to demonstrate their continued engagement.
2nd Trimester grades will carry forward and teachers will provide comments on the final report card to capture growth, progress and engagement during the closure.
Middle School Students with failing grades will need to work with their individual teachers to determine the engagement and work to improve the grade to passing.
The video below from OSPI has additional information. If you can't access the video link below, you can access the video on Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op2-wokFU6A
Algebra and Washington State History
High-School Credit Bearing Courses ONLY!
A student’s 3rd Trimester grade will start with their 2nd trimester grade as their baseline. Improving a grade during this time period will be determined by a student's engagement in activities and assignments. While we will provide feedback on assignments students turn in, not all assignments will receive a grade.
In effort to be as flexible as possible during the closure and to follow OSPI guidelines, the following options are available to students.
Grade Maintenance: Students should be engaged in the work assigned by the classroom teacher throughout the course of the closure to maintain their current grade.
Grade Improvement: The student may choose to complete work to improve their final grade. Students choosing to complete work to improve their grade should contact their teacher(s) to develop a plan. Teachers will determine the work to assign and, upon completion, assess whether the student completed the work at a satisfactory level to improve the final grade. Per OSPI, teachers are not required to assign individual letter grades to each assignment but will provide feedback. The intent of this section is to help students with lower grades to improve their scores, it is not the intent for minute adjustments to a student's GPA. For example helping a student with an F to improve to a D or C or helping a student with a B improve to an A.
Incomplete (I): This grade is for a student who had a grade of F on March 13th and was not able to engage in learning throughout the closure. An incomplete grade will only be assigned after a phone / online conference is made with the parent(s), principal, counselor, and teacher has been held.
The principal, counselor and individual teachers may determine that a student does not have equitable access to learning during the closure. In those cases they may assign only specific courses to be completed. For example they may be asked to only work on literacy and math. Or they may assign an incomplete after discussions with the family.
Conway School District
Email: office@conway.k12.wa.us
Website: www.conway.k12.wa.us
Phone: 360-445-5785