Arlington schools will change grading system, credits during coronavirus outbreak
Students in Arlington’s school district will be graded based on progress, participation and commitment to coursework because of campus closures in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The school board passed the measures unanimously Tuesday.
Most students will receive a grade of complete or incomplete; or, for high school students, credit or incomplete, district officials said Tuesday. Their final grade will not impact GPA.
Students who receive an incomplete will have the opportunity to recover over the summer. Steven Wurtz, chief academic officer for the district, said the district is working on making summer classes free.
Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos said that because an incomplete will have implications in graduation or grade advancement, the district is doing everything it can to help students earn a complete or credit status.
Teachers will also be limited to posting two grades a week per subject area to limit the stress on students and parents but will have more flexibility to determine if a student has met requirements to pass the course.
There will also be no finals and fifth six-week report cards have been canceled. Students who are not performing well in classes will be contacted by teachers and sixth six-week report cards will be sent out as scheduled.
Students enrolled in dual credit courses will still see grades affect their higher education GPA but will not see those grades reflected in their high school GPA.
Wurtz said the district is working to provide grace and equity for students as they adapt to online learning. That includes more online classes running on a master schedule where students should attend in a virtual classroom.
Mandatory virtual classroom attendance for core courses will begin Monday while elective classes will have mandatory attendance beginning April 20. The 90% attendance requirement has been waived during school closures for students who have already met that requirement this semester.
The district is distributing laptops and tablets for students to work at home. Cavazos said the district is still receiving requests for these devices and will continue to fulfill every request.
Students and parents will be notified by teachers about changes this week.
The board met through video conference to follow guidelines prohibiting gatherings during the COVID-19 outbreak.