Audit committee finds wide variability in grading practices; district to pursue yearlong review

At the June 26, 2025, meeting of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School Audit Committee, auditors presented the completed grading practices audit and reported substantial variability in how teachers assign and weight student work across schools, grade bands and subjects.

The audit team found that procedures and monitoring focus mainly on compliance with district grade-calculation formulas, not on the quality, quantity or consistency of graded assignments. Jacqueline (Audit staff) said, "We have completed our audit of grading practices, and I'm glad to be here to share the report with you." The team examined 12 schools and a sample of 66 teachers and identified broad differences in the number of graded activities per grading period, how categories (assessments, classwork, homework) are weighted and how extra credit, make-up work and credit recovery are used.

Why it matters: Committee members and district leaders said inconsistent grading can affect scholarships, athletics eligibility, valedictorian selection, promotion and graduation decisions. Dr. Watts (District leader) said, "I will just say that, nothing in this report came as a surprise to me at all," and warned the committee that…