IHA - Grading Systems

• Document Link- printable PDF:  IHA – Grading Systems 
• Title: Grading Systems
• Section: I. Instructional Program
• Adoption Date: 04/23/2026
• Additional Documents:  CCSD Guidelines

Descriptor Code IHA
Grading Systems

Purpose

Grades in CCSD communicate a student’s mastery of or progress towards mastery of the CCSD Teaching and Learning Standards.  Grades should communicate to parents how their student is progressing through grade level learning and how ready their student is for the next grade, level, or opportunity.

The Superintendent or designee shall:

1.      Establish K-12 academic behaviors for 2027-28 SY to be reported to families as a component of the report card.

2.      Establish guidelines for reassessment and unit recovery, credit recovery options, and course reenrollment. 

3.      Establish guidelines and support for teachers to implement grading practices consistently in CCSD.

Grade Reporting

It is expected that all students K-8 will have a printed report card sent home at the end of each 9-week grading period.  All high school students will have a printed report card sent home at the end of each semester. Additionally, progress reports will be available digitally at the 4.5-week mark.   

Academic Grades

Kindergarten

Students in Kindergarten will be evaluated using the Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills 2.0 (GKIDS 2.0), which is a progression-based formative assessment, integrated into classroom work that is aligned to CCSD’s Teaching and Learning Standards. GKIDS 2.0 is organized around big ideas and learning progressions.  Student grades will be reported on the following scale:

• Not Yet Assessed
• Not Yet Demonstrating
• Beginning
• Emerging
• Developing
• Demonstrating
• Exceeding

 

1st - 2^nd grade

Students in first and second grade will be evaluated using a standards-based report card.  In all academic areas, student grades will be reported on the following scale:

N/A – not assessed at this time

1 – Below grade-level standard

2 – Approaching standard

3 – Consistently meets or exceeds standard

[Effective 2027-28 SY, CCSD will implement a new grade reporting tool for grades K-2 following an evaluation of best practices, development of potential tools, and collaboration for feedback with teachers, leaders, and parents in CCSD.  The goal of this work is to create effective reporting tools, clear communication for parents and families, and provide teacher support for consistency.]

3^rd – 12^th grade

CCSD will report student grades in 3^rd – 12^th grade using a 100-point grading scale as follows:

• 90 – 100          A
• 80 – 89             B
• 71 – 79             C
• 70                        D
• 69 and below   F

Academic Behaviors – (Kindergarten – 2^nd Grade)

Academic behaviors will be communicated separately on the following scale:

• 1 – Area of Concern 
• 2 – Developing
• 3 – Consistently Demonstrates

Class Participation (Kindergarten – 5th Grade)

Class participation in elementary specials will be communicated separately on the following scale:

• 1 – Unsatisfactory
• 2 – Needs Improvement
• 3 – Satisfactory

Grading Weights

3^rd – 8^th Grade

            Graded Formative 60%

            Summative 40%

9^th – 12^th Grade (HS credit courses taken in 8^th Grade)

            Graded Formative 40%

            Summative 60%

Graded formative assignments are used to identify which teaching strategies to adjust to improve student progress toward mastering standards and support the identification of areas where students require remediation or extension.  This category includes but is not limited to quizzes, classwork, and short written responses, etc.

Summative assignments are a formal measure used to evaluate student learning, typically at the end of a unit of study. This category includes but is not limited to unit assessments, essays or longer written responses, performance tasks or projects, and portfolio submissions, exams, etc.

 

Special Populations Grade Reporting

Special Education

Students receiving special education services will be evaluated and issued grades using the district’s general reporting instrument, except in cases where instruction is provided using adapted instructional standards. Students receiving instruction based on adapted instructional standards may receive grades through an alternate reporting instrument aligned to those standards.

In addition to academic grade reporting, all students receiving special education services will receive quarterly progress reports that document progress toward the goals and objectives outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

English Learners

Students identified as English Learner (ELs) receive grades within the district’s standards-based grading system; however, grades must reflect students’ demonstrated mastery of grade-level content in alignment with their current level of English language proficiency.

Instruction and assessment for ELs are delivered through state-approved service models and must incorporate linguistic scaffolds, differentiated supports, and approved accommodations to ensure access to rigorous grade-level curriculum.

Grades assigned to English Learners should represent student learning based on work that has been designed or adapted to correspond with the student’s English language proficiency level, as measured by state-approved English language proficiency assessments (e.g., WIDA Screener, ACCESS for ELs), and documented in the English Learner-Testing Participation Committee (EL-TPC) plan.

The Superintendent will direct the development of implementation guidance addressing the relationship between English language proficiency and grade reporting, ensuring consistency across schools for the 2027-2028 school year. 

 Gifted and Talented

Elementary gifted students in CCSD receive quarterly feedback reports that reflect their progression on district gifted standards. Because this program is an enrichment-based service, these reports focus on growth in advanced thinking, problem solving, creativity, and affective development, areas not captured by standard report card grades. Providing feedback four times a year ensures consistent monitoring of student growth and clear communication with families. 

Middle and High school students enrolled in gifted and advanced courses will have grades reported using the district’s standard grading system. 

Grading Assignments and Assessments of Student Learning

It is an expectation that schools provide a variety of grades for each student that are updated frequently throughout each semester. 

Kindergarten – 12^th Grade

English Language Arts, Mathematics, 6^th-12^th grade Social Studies, Science, and all other 6^th-12^th grade courses except Middle School 9-week connections

• All assignments and assessments should be aligned to the CCSD Teaching and Learning Standards.
• Multiple opportunities to practice and show mastery of standards should be included in the grading process.
•  All students in K - 12^th grade should receive, at a minimum

o   1 formative grade per week

o   2 summative grades per quarter

Kindergarten – 5^th Grade

Specials, Social Studies, and Science

• All assignments and assessments should be aligned to the CCSD Teaching and Learning Standards.
• For specials classes that do not meet every day, student should receive a minimum of five (5) opportunities to demonstrate mastery of standards each nine (9) weeks.
• For science and social studies, students should receive a minimum of five (5) opportunities to demonstrate mastery of standards each nine (9) weeks.

6^th – 8^th Grade Connections Courses

9-week courses

• All assignments and assessments should be aligned to the CCSD Teaching and Learning Standards.
• For courses that are only 9 weeks long, students should receive a minimum of six (6) opportunities to demonstrate mastery of standards each 9 weeks

ADOPTED: April 23, 2026

Cherokee County Board of Education

CCSD Guidelines

IHA – Guideline 1: Reassessment and Unit Recovery

Unit Recovery and Reassessment

In Cherokee County Schools, we believe that all students can reach their full learning potential when the conditions for success are intentionally established. We are committed to ensuring that student grades reflect clear evidence of mastery of standards. Additionally, our approach to grading includes embedded opportunities throughout the year for students to demonstrate and strengthen their learning, ensuring that mastery is both developed and accurately measured over time.

Elementary School

•   Students will be given an opportunity to remediate standards for which they have not demonstrated mastery before the end of the grading period.  This practice should include students completing additional learning activities and new opportunities to demonstrate mastery of standards (additional assessments, tasks, test corrections with explanations, projects, etc.)
•  If an additional assessment opportunity is provided, the new score should replace the previous score in the gradebook if higher than the original score.

Middle and High School

•  Students will be given an opportunity to remediate standards for which they have not demonstrated mastery before the end of the grading period. This practice should include students completing additional learning activities and new opportunities to demonstrate mastery of standards (additional assessments, tasks, test corrections with explanations, projects, etc.)
• Students will be given, at minimum, one additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery, at a scheduled time set by the teacher, or should have the opportunity for a future display of standards mastery on additional planned assessments (spiraled in next unit or midterm/final)
•   If an additional assessment opportunity is provided, the new score should replace the previous score in the gradebook if higher than the original score

 

IHA – Guideline 2: Credit Recovery Options for Middle and High School Courses

High School Credit Courses

Course Extension

To be eligible for a course extension opportunity, students enrolled in high school credit courses must meet the following requirements

•  A final course average of 65 – 69
•   Fewer than 10 unexcused absences from the course

This is a two-week opportunity at the conclusion of each semester.  After successful completion of a course extension opportunity, the failing grade will be replaced with a 70 on the student transcript. 

Credit Recovery

To be eligible for a virtual credit recovery course opportunity, students enrolled in high school credit courses must meet the following requirements

• A final course average of 55 – 69
• Fewer than 10 unexcused absences from the course

After successful completion of a virtual credit recovery course, the grade for both the original course and the credit recovery course will both be displayed on the student transcript. 

If the requirements above are not met for a course, a student may participate in course reenrollment (re-take the course) opportunities during a semester or during summer school [IHA – G3].

Middle School Course

Course Recovery

Students failing a Middle School credit course with a 55 – 69 semester average at the end of each 18-weeks and with fewer than 10 unexcused absences will be eligible for course recovery opportunities.  Successful completion of this opportunity will result in their semester average being changed to 70. 

Summer school is recommended for students who are unsuccessful in their course recovery opportunity or who do not meet the course recovery opportunity requirements. 

IHA – Guideline 3: High School Course Reenrollment

Students who fail an entire course and either do not meet the grade range requirements or are not successful in course extension, or who have more than 10 unexcused absences may leverage the following options to retake the course in its entirety:

• As a part of the student’s academic schedule at their home school the following school year,
• As a fee-associated course through a pre-approved and accredited online option in summer or the following school year, or
• As a fee-associated course through a pre-approved non-traditional option in summer or the following school year.

After completion of the new course, a second course of enrollment and a second grade will be entered onto the transcript in addition to their previously earned grade in the course. 

IHA – Guideline 4: Grading Practices in Cherokee County Schools

Missing/Late Work

• In alignment with Policy JBD, when a student is absent for excused reasons, they should have the same number of days for which they missed to complete any make up assignments for full credit.
• A grade may be deducted for being late after the allowed time window, for a maximum deduction of 25% of the grade awarded. 
•  If a student is present but fails to complete and turn in an assignment on time, points may be deducted but may not exceed 25% of the grade awarded. 
•   If a student does not turn in an assignment in either scenario above, then a 0 or corresponding code below may be entered into the gradebook.
• Each grade or department of teachers at each school will determine common grading practices to ensure that a student’s mastery of standards is reflected in the gradebook, to include how a summative grade is used to replace graded formatives from the unit, and this information will be communicated in the syllabi for each Middle and High School course. 
•  All assignments must be submitted before the completion of a unit of study, marked by a final summative assessment/grade for a unit. 

Coding for Missing/Late Work

EOC percentage for HS credit courses

CCSD requires that the Georgia Milestones End of Course (EOC) test score will determine 20% of the second semester grade for Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History, and Literature and Composition II.  The student’s classroom grades will determine the remaining 80% of the second semester grade.  The formula below is used to calculate the second semester grade including the EOC:

Grade on Coursework (0.8) + Milestones EOC Grade (0.2) = Final Second Semester Grade