Grading Structure

GRADE REPORTS

The middle school operates on a trimester schedule. Students receive grade reports for each course at the end of each trimester. Advisors and parents receive copies of these grades and comments. Only year-end grades, or trimester grades in the case of a trimester course, are entered on a student's transcript.

COMMUNICATION OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

There are three mechanisms the School uses to communicate about academic achievement. 

ACADEMIC UPDATES are sent home to communicate positive information or concerns. If a student has done well on an assessment or has shown a pattern of improvement, a faculty member may send home an Academic Update. Faculty members will also send home an Academic Update for a student who shows a pattern of not handing in homework, does poorly (earning a 72 or below) on one or more major assessments, or whose overall grade has improved or decreased 10 percentage points. 

REPORT CARDS are submitted by the faculty at the end of each trimester. These reports contain achievement grades, narratives (in Trimesters One and Three), and Skills Checklists (in Trimester Two). They are shared with the advisor, made available to parents and guardians electronically, and kept in a student's permanent file. The grades for trimester courses are official. For a year-long course, the year-end grade is a composite of the three-trimester achievement grades. The year-end achievement grade is the official grade of record for a year-long course. 

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES occur during the first trimester. Notification of the conference and sign-up procedures will be sent in September.