A student enrolled in the District may seek changes in quarter and/or semester grades provided the following criteria are met and using the following procedure. The School Board recognizes that teachers are the best evaluators of students in their classes and are best suited to determine grading criteria.
In order for a semester or quarter grade to be modified, the student must prove the following:
1. That a test grade, assignment grade, or other grade recorded in the teacher’s grade book was not correctly recorded and that such error resulted in an incorrect quarter grade or semester grade; or
2. That an incorrect grade was given on a test, assignment, or other activity recorded in a teacher’s grade book which error resulted in an incorrect quarter grade or semester grade; or
3. That a grade was given in disregard of or for reasons other than a teacher’s own grading criteria.
Requests for changes in quarter or semester grades shall be made using the following procedures:
1. The student and/or the student’s parent or guardian shall obtain a request form from the appropriate school district office. The form must be completed in its entirety and returned to the office within ten (10) school days after the end of the quarter or semester in which the grade being challenged was received. In the event a request form is submitted to the principal by a requester which is not complete, the form will be returned to the requester for completion. Submittal of an incomplete form will extend the filing deadline once by five (5) school days.
2. Within two (2) school days of receipt of the completed request form, the building principal shall transmit the form to the teacher who shall respond to the request in writing within five (5) school days of receipt of the form from the principal. The building principal shall transmit the form to the student or the student’s parent or guardian within two (2) school days of its return from the teacher.
3. A student or his or her parent or guardian who is dissatisfied with the response submitted may, within five (5) school days of the date of mailing of the form to him or her, request a conference which, if requested, shall be held within ten (10) school days of the date of the request. A conference, if held, shall include the student and/or his or her parent/guardian, the teacher, the building principal and the district administrator if requested by either the principal or the student or his/her parent or guardian. The conference will be for the purpose of determining whether one or more of the criteria for changing grades have been met. After the conference, the building principal, with the advice of the district administrator if the district administrator has participated in the conference, will decide whether the student’s grade will be changed. The principal shall inform the teacher and the student or his/her parent of guardian of the principal’s decision in writing within three (3) school days of the conference. The principal’s decision is final.
4. Copies of all documents relating to requests for grade changes will be placed in the progress record file of the student and maintained as pupil progress records in accordance with law.
5. No request for a grade change will be considered unless it meets the criteria and procedural requirements of this policy, including deadlines.
6. Nothing in this policy shall prohibit a teacher, if he or she realizes that a grading error has been made due to miscalculation or misrecording a grade, from correcting the grade. The deadlines established herein will begin to run on the date when notice is sent to the student or his/her parent or guardian of the change.
7. Timelines may be extended by mutual agreement in the event that any individuals are not available within the prescribed timelines.
LEGAL REF: Family Rights and Privacy Act
(20 U.S.C. Section 1232g, 45 C.F.R. Sec. 99)
CROSS REF: Policy #345.1 - Grading Systems
Policy #345.12-Exhibit 1 - Request for Grade Change
Policy #345.12-Exhibit 2 - Teacher's Reply to Request for Grade Change
Policy #345.12-Exhibit 3 - Principal's Response to Request for Grade Change
Policy #347-Rule - Guidelines for Maintenance and Confidentiality of Student Records
APPROVED: May 27, 1999
12/21/2004 pw