Grading and Reporting
North Santiam School District Grading Philosophy
The NSSD values teaching the whole child both in academics and career-related success skills. Career-related skills include personal management, problem solving, communication, teamwork, employment foundations and career development.
In recent years Oregon Legislators have provided districts greater flexibility with grading and assessing practices. The movement to standards-based instruction and proficiency-based grading captures many quality practices that will increase the effectiveness of the instructional program for our students. Key practices for us include teachers teaching and assessing content standards, providing specific student-level learning information to target intervention and enrichment activities, and clearly communicating to students what they need to know and be able to do in order to be successful.
Identifying specific gaps in student learning, prioritizing the knowledge and skills students will acquire in each grade or course, focusing on students' learning progress and identifying what they have yet to learn has tremendous value in student learning. Teaching and assessing specific standards helps students to share in the responsibility for their learning.
Reporting to Parents
The NSSD has recently redesigned its student report cards with the guiding purpose of providing parents and students the necessary information to continue their academic and personal growth. In grades K-12 student progress in reported every 9 weeks. In grades K-5 student grades use a 4-point scale. Students transition to a more traditional A-F grading scale in grades 6-12. Student progress towards meeting standards is communicated to parents in a point-in-time fashion. Students' marks at each reporting time assess their current performance, reflecting if they are meeting current objectives and their proficiency with what has been taught to them so far.
The district has partnered with the Linn-Benton Education Service District to provide parents on-line access to their student's current academic progress. To learn more click on the Parent Portal on each of the school sites or contact the school office.