Hello School District Family,

We are in the fourth week of school closure. Last week we rolled out remote learning, and this week we are providing grading guidelines.

It is my hope that the grading guidelines will relieve stress for educators, families and students. The guidelines clarify the district’s teaching and learning goals for second semester at the elementary, middle and high school levels, with an emphasis on feedback. The guidelines also address questions about how final quarter and semester grades will be determined.

I would like to thank members of my team for developing grading guidelines that based on the best practices we’ve seen emerging nationwide over the past few weeks. I also want to thank the Fairbanks Education Association and the Fairbanks Principals Association for their collaboration on the final draft.

One of my reflections this weekend was about how organizations and societies move through the change process. In the case of COVID-19, much of the change we’re experiencing is rapid and beyond our control.

While we may have no control over the government mandates, we can control our response to them. And we can remember that all change, whether mandated or facilitated, requires time for individuals, teams and organizations to move through a process of “storming to norming.” For storming to be productive, we must include space for people to grieve. We must have compassion and empathy for the full spectrum of lived experiences related to the change. There is much we are giving up, in countless areas. For norming to be effective, leaders must engage stakeholders in the development of innovative solutions.

We are incredibly creative, resilient people. We can adjust to each new mandate. If we remember our core values, we can make thoughtful decisions and develop meaningful solutions that not only maintain the integrity of public education but also elevate the elements of our school communities that we love the most.

Kind Regards,

Karen

For the spring semester of 2020, the following directives will apply:

During this unique and unprecedented time in education, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has created special guidance for grading to respond to the extended school closure due to Covid-19. Nothing in this guidance supersedes federal or state requirements for grading of students with IEPs or 504s. The intent of this guidance is to mitigate negative impacts on student performance records in an equitable way. It is the hope of the District that students and their families will remain actively engaged in learning during the fourth quarter.

Elementary Grades (K - 6)

• Students will receive standard grades for quarters 1 - 3, as determined prior to the beginning of quarter 4.
  
  
• For quarter 4, students will receive a grade of NS. A grade of NS indicates that due to the closure, there was not sufficient evidence to assign traditional grades.
  
  
• All teachers are expected to provide remote learning options for students based on the essential learnings identified for 4th quarter. Any assignment or assessment submitted to a teacher should be returned with feedback with the goal of improving student learning and understanding. Teachers provide feedback, not grades, on assignments that are returned during remote learning instructional weeks.
  
  

Middle School Grades (7-8)

• Students will receive standard grades for quarters 1 - 3, as determined prior to the beginning of quarter 4.
  
  
• For quarter 4, students will receive a grade of NG. A grade of NG indicates that due to the closure, there was not sufficient evidence to assign traditional grades.
  
  
• All teachers are expected to provide remote learning options for students based on the essential learnings identified for 4th quarter. Any assignment or assessment submitted to a teacher should be returned with feedback with the goal of improving student learning and understanding. Teachers provide feedback, not grades, on assignments that are returned during remote learning instructional weeks.
  

High School Grades:

• Students will be awarded semester credit and semester grades based upon work completed up to the closure. The third quarter grade will be recorded as the final semester grade with the following exceptions:
  
  Teachers will work with students who want to increase their third quarter grade by
  identifying work that can be submitted and and positively affect a student's grade. The
  work should reinforce essential learnings or provide enrichment on third quarter skills. Teachers should take into consideration the circumstances of the student and their
  learning needs.
  
  Students enrolled in eLearning classes prior to closure should continue to finish classes.
  
  
• No final exams for high school semester 2 or end of course exams in math will be administered with the exception of eLearning classes.
  
  
• Spring semester 2020 grades will be excluded from a student’s cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).
  
  
• For graduating seniors, gpa, class rank, honor cords, or other academic distinctions will be based on the end of first semester grades.
  
  
• In addition, seniors may request to withdraw from any class they do not need for graduation and have a “W” not “WF” on their transcript. The request should be made through their high school counselor by Monday, April 20.
  
  
• Students may take challenge exams for core classes where available to earn semester credit with grades of A or B.
  
  
• All teachers are expected to provide continual learning options for students based on the essential learnings identified for 4th quarter. Any assignment or assessment submitted to a teacher should be returned with feedback with the goal of improving student learning and understanding. Teachers provide feedback, not grades, on assignments that are returned during remote learning instructional weeks.

Fairbanks schools and students are not alone in responding to the challenges created by extended school closures. All evidence indicates that both public school systems and higher education institutions are adjusting to the nationwide reality that schools will be reporting differently this spring.

We realize that the closure, the shift to remote learning, and changes in grading practices are stressful for school staff, students and parents. As a district our goal is to ensure that, as much as possible, students are not penalized for school and class work missed for circumstances beyond their control.

Letter to Parents

Special Education Department’s Parent Resources has up-to-date information and resources. We are continually adding to the page, and we encourage you to visit it frequently.

Special Education Department’s Staff Resources contains valuable information and resources that are updated frequently.

There are also FAQ's available for Parents

There is separate one for Teachers that is being updated.

Additionally, the Engagement Activities During School Closure page provides enrichment activities for students, including physical education, art, and music.

During school closure, your student's counselor and social services manager are still available via email and phone. All contact information is provided on your school's web page. Please do not hesitate to reach out. This is a difficult time for all and we wish you and your families well as we work together through this.

Check out these Second Step Resources to help families with ways to help children cope during these trying times.

Across the district, there are locations near schools where connectivity is available for students or families who may not have it at home. Click here for our district WiFi map to find a location near you. Be sure to practice safe social distancing. Additionally, internet providers locally are providing families with other options for free connectivity. GCI has made their TurboZone spots accessible to the public (TurboZone FAQs), and Alaska Communications is providing free internet to educators and students through May 2020 (see AK Communications' flyer).

Parents who have questions about how to help their students access district technology resources can find help on our Parent Resources website.

Free breakfast and lunch has been available for pick up Monday through Friday for any child 18 and under, through a federally-funded program. This project involves 23 busses and more than 40 locations. From March 18th to April 6 we have distributed 44,800 meals.

This program is for children only, so we cannot serve adults. See the Nutrition Services page on our school closure website for more information.

Monday - Friday School District Pickup Locations Interactive Map