Dear Students, Parents, Colleagues and Administrators:

Communication between students, parents, colleagues and administrators is important.  Therefore, I would like to clearly explain my grading system to students and parents at the onset of a new school year.  I want all my students to understand how to be successful in my classroom.  Achievement, effort, class participation, and classroom behavior are factored into the grade.  Twenty percent of the student’s overall quarter grade accounts for class participation.  Forty percent of the student’s overall quarter grade includes minor grades and forty percent of the student’s overall quarter grade includes major grades. 

Each student’s individual class participation grade will be determined by a nightly homework assignment worth 10 percent.  My students’ nightly homework assignments will be graded on completion, not correctness.  To receive full credit, each problem needs to be done in pencil and all work needs to be shown.  All assignments will be checked at the beginning of class and a 2, 1, 0 will be given based on the completion of homework. Homework will then be presented and gone over daily.  Students will need to make corrections on their homework assignments as we go over it.  Late homework or homework done in pen will not be accepted and counted as a zero.  Students will be required to be active learners and adhere to the classroom rules and policies.  This will account for the last 10 percent of their classroom participation grade. 

The student’s individual minor grade will be determined through quizzes, math labs, and pair-shares.  Quizzes are worth 15 percent of their quarterly average.  Quizzes will be graded out of 100 possible points.  Quizzes will consist of short answer problems as well as vocabulary terms.  Math labs are worth 10 percent of their quarter grade.  Math labs are hands-on, one-day projects done in a group setting.  Math labs are graded on completeness and accuracy.  Math labs need to be turned in before the end of class to get full credit.  Pair-shares are worth 15 percent of their quarter grade.  Students will work with their partner to develop their skills on a particular unit.  With pair-shares, students can work together; use their books and notebooks to find the answers.  Pair shares will be graded out of 100 possible points and partners will receive the same grade.  Pair shares need to be turned in before the end of class to get full credit.

The student’s individual major grade will be determined through tests, short- answer questions, extended-response questions and long-term projects.  Tests will be graded out of a 100 possible points.  Tests will comprise 15 percent of the student’s grade.  Tests will include multiple-choice questions so students will be familiar with the state exam format.  With the multiple-choice test questions, students will not be able to use calculators.  This is to help prepare them for the state exam students where students are not allowed to use calculators on multiple-choice questions.  Extended response questions and short- answer questions (journals) will be assigned once a week.  Journals will be worth 15 percent of the student’s grade.  Journals will be graded on a rubric scale provided by the teacher.  Late journals will not be accepted.  Long-term projects will be worth 10 percent of the student’s major grade.  Long-term projects will be assessed through a rubric created by the students.  Late term projects will result in a 20-point deduction each day past the due date.

Students will be held accountable to the New York State mathematics standards in all tests, journals, long-term projects, quizzes, pair-shares, math labs and homework.  By doing this, it is hoped that all students will achieve success on the state test and in future endeavors.  If at any time any student feels that they need extra help they can come see me.  If at any time parents or guardians need to contact me, please feel free to call me at school at 298-8681. 

Sincerely,