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School leaders defend 70/30 grading guideline while promising tweaks after parent and student concerns
Summary
Principals argued the 70/30 process/product grading framework can better align classroom grades with SOL outcomes if administrators enforce consistent grade‑book practices and teacher evaluations; students and parents urged clearer implementation and more timely grade entry.
School principals told the board that the 70/30 grading guideline — which distinguishes process (30%) and product/assessment (70%) — was intended to make grades more predictive of end‑of‑year SOL performance, but stakeholders surfaced uneven implementation and timing issues.
Dr. Burns said grading structure alone cannot ensure rigor; administrators must monitor grade books and tie expectations to teacher evaluation standards (Standard 4: assessment; Standard 8: student academic progress). Dr. Nice and other principals described steps taken at the middle school to increase consistency, such as department chairs setting expectations and creating a modest 'grace' scaffold for younger students and student‑athletes who face early grading cliffs.
A high‑school student representative told the board that inconsistent teacher practices leave students confused: some classes recorded many product grades while others recorded mostly test scores, and late grade entry created moments when parents and students saw failing grades that were corrected weeks later when missing grades were entered. Board members and administrators agreed that more consistent, timely grading and clearer communication to families are priorities.
Administrators said they will analyze SOL/grade correlations after the second year of implementation and bring refinements — including training and possible phased approaches for sixth graders — to the board this summer.
