Grading Policy Update Presentation to the Board of School Commissioners August 12, 2014

City Schools Grading and Reporting Policy Background At the April 8, 2014 School Board meeting, City Schools students from Baltimore Polytechnic HS addressed the Board regarding the district’s weighted GPA calculation, highlighting differences between the City Schools Grading and Reporting Policy (IKA) adopted by the Board in June 2011 and the grading policies of other Maryland districts. The presentation concluded with a request that the Board examine the honors and advanced weights within the grading policy. Following the student presentation, a cross-functional workgroup was convened to evaluate the current policy, gather additional information, and make a recommendation to the CEO.

City Schools Grading and Reporting Policy Background, cont. The grading policy workgroup held six meetings between May 6 and July 1, 2014 to discuss the current grading policy and to determine what, if any, changes should be made to the grading policy. The goal of this work was to ensure that City Schools GPA weights allowed for parity between City Schools students and students in other Maryland LEAs. The group included staff from multiple district offices, including the Office of School Counseling the Office of Learning to Work the Office of Teaching and Learning the Office of Information Technology, and the Office of Achievement and Accountability. In addition to district staff, school principals, students, school counselors, and higher education partners were represented on the workgroup. The group reviewed the current policy and recommended the Board select one of two recommended options, either of which would result in increasing the GPA of most students to be in alignment with the grading scales of most other LEAs.

CURRENT BCPSS GRADING SCALE Current City Schools Grading and Reporting Policy Review of Key Characteristics 2011 IKA scale: differentiates honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, incentivizing rigorous course taking with a ‘multiplier’ factor of 1.1 and 1.2, respectively; begins with a lower GPA (0.67) for a passing grade than is found in other LEAs; systematically reduces GPA for minus (-) grades; results in lower GPAs than would be given in other LEAs for the same final numerical grades (for example, a final grade of 60 in a standard course would result in a 1.0, rather than a 0.67, in many LEAs). CURRENT BCPSS GRADING SCALE   Standard Honors IB/AP (X 1.1) (X 1.2) 97-100 A+ 4.33 4.76 5.2 93-96 A 4 4.4 4.8 90-92 A- 3.67 4.04 87-89 B+ 3.33 3.66 83-86 B 3 3.3 3.6 80-82 B- 2.67 2.94 3.2 77-79 C+ 2.33 2.56 2.8 73-76 C 2 2.2 2.4 70-72 C- 1.67 1.84 67-69 D+ 1.33 1.46 1.6 63-66 D 1 1.1 1.2 60-62 D- 0.67 0.74 0.8 59 or Below F

Potential Policy Change Recommended Options for Revised Grade Scale begin with a 1.0 GPA for a passing grade (D-) and extending the scale up through a 4.0 for an ‘A-’ as in other LEAs; continue to differentiate GPA for minus and plus grades; continue the same multiplier weighting for honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Standard Honors IB/AP 97-100 A+ 4.67 5.14 5.6 93-96 A 4.33 4.76 5.2 90-92 A- 4 4.4 4.8 87-89 B+ 3.67 4.04 83-86 B 3.33 3.66 80-82 B- 3 3.3 3.6 77-79 C+ 2.67 2.94 3.2 73-76 C 2.33 2.56 2.8 70-72 C- 2 2.2 2.4 67-69 D+ 1.67 1.84 63-66 D 1.33 1.46 1.6 60-62 D- 1 1.1 1.2 59 or Below F

Potential Policy Change Recommended Options for Revised Grade Scale begin with a 1.0 GPA for a passing grade (D-); simplify the scale, as in some other LEAs, eliminating the differentiation of GPA for minus and plus grades (e.g., ‘A-,’ ‘A,’ and ‘A+’ would all equal a 4.0 GPA); continue the same multiplier weighting for honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Standard Honors IB/AP 97-100 A+ 4 4.4 4.8 93-96 A 90-92 A- 87-89 B+ 3 3.3 3.6 83-86 B 80-82 B- 77-79 C+ 2 2.2 2.8 73-76 C 70-72 C- 67-69 D+ 1 1.1 1.2 63-66 D 60-62 D- 59 or Below F

Contact Information Rudy Ruiz Executive Director – Secondary Education Services RRuiz@bcps.k12.md.us Nakia Hardy Executive Director – Teaching and Learning NHardy@bcps.k12.md.us Linda Chen Chief Academic Officer LPChen@bcps.k12.md.us