Grading Reform Initiative
The Clark County School District (CCSD) is committed to student success by embodying the core values of equity, accountability, and high expectations for all students.
In an effort to reach goals in the District's strategic plan, the Grading Reform Committee, composed of principals and members of various CCSD departments, in partnership with the Assessment, Accountability, Research, and School Improvement Division (AARSI), has led the grading reform initiative. Families and educators are partners in this work and provide ongoing feedback. The goal of these efforts is to ensure students’ grades accurately reflect their knowledge and skills by minimizing the impact of non-academic factors and reporting these factors separately.
Fact:
Preparing students for college and career means explicitly teaching successful habits of learning.
Students need to be taught habits of work and employability skills, such as perseverance and self-advocacy, to feel empowered to apply these skills and succeed in the future. Educators will focus on teaching these skills to students rather than issuing an academic punishment for a behavioral misstep.
Students are still expected to meet deadlines and demonstrate appropriate behaviors. These behavior expectations will not be reflected in academic grades. Students will also have the opportunity to revise and/or retake tests to encourage continued academic growth in areas they may not have fully understood the first time. These changes will allow students to learn from mistakes and demonstrate mastery of the content throughout the school year.
Fact:
CCSD is NOT adopting a “No Fail” policy.
The proposed equity grading scale includes an F, which will be used for students who have not demonstrated mastery of the standards. Students who are in danger of failing a course will be provided with support through reteaching and demonstrations of new learning.
Throughout the process, five key priority areas have been identified to ensure equity, accuracy,
and consistency in CCSD grading policies across all schools.
Priority Areas
1. Implement an equal (balanced) Grading Scale.
| Grades 1–12 | Kindergarten Grading Scale | Standards-Based Grading Scale |
|---|---|---|
| A = 90–100 | 2 = Meets | 4 = Exceeds |
| B = 80–89 | 1 = Approaches | 3 = Meets |
| C = 70–79 | 2 = Approaches | |
| D = 60–69 | 1 = Emergent | |
| F = 50–59 |
Fact:
The equity grading scale provides balance and supports mathematical precision.
The equity grading scale provides a floor of 50, which ensures an equal range for each letter grade of A through F. Extreme outliers can no longer impact a student's grade, making it possible to recover when new learning has occurred.
2. Remove behavior from the grading process.
- Academic performance will be the only factor included in student grades.
- Students will not be penalized in their academic grade for late work, participation, responsibility, etc.
- Elementary students who have provided no evidence of learning will be assigned an “M” for the missing assignment, which carries a value of 50 percent.
- Secondary students who have provided no evidence of learning will be assigned an “M” for the missing assignment, which carries a value of 0 percent.
- Once the missing work is submitted, the “M” is replaced with a score reflecting the student’s academic performance. The “L” late flag is then added to the assignment to communicate student behavior separately from the academic grade.
- Behaviors will be reported separately as a successful learner behavior or citizenship grade.
Fact:
Teachers will establish deadlines for student work.
As educators, we have high expectations for all students, including meeting deadlines. Teachers will be understanding of impactful life circumstances that students may face. Students will no longer be punished through academic grades for circumstances out of their control.
3. Implement a consistent reassessment policy to include opportunities for reflection, revision, and reassessment to ensure mastery of the Nevada Academic Content Standards (NVACS) and District curriculum for all students.
- Students will be afforded one opportunity, per summative assessment, to engage in the reassessment process. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate educators retain flexibility in reassessment decisions.
- Reassessment promotes perseverance, accountability, and a growth mindset by emphasizing learning and progress while maintaining high expectations for learners.
4. Implement consistent weighting and categories in the Infinite Campus Grade Book to record formative and summative assessments.
| 2021–2022 | 2022–2023 | 2023 and Beyond |
|---|---|---|
| Formative 0—25% | Formative 0—20% | Formative 0—20% |
| Summative 75—100% | Summative 80—100% | Summative 80—100% |
Fact:
Grades are determined based on evidence of student learning.
It is not appropriate to add a grade for a student who did not produce artifacts of learning because it does not accurately report what they know and need to learn. Teachers will work with students to gather evidence of learning to inform grading.
