Health
The purpose of grades is to accurately reflect individual student achievement as related to course objectives.
The School Board recognizes that students learn best through a system of clear learning objectives, quality formative assessment, developmental feedback, and the opportunity to respond to that feedback.
Formative Assessment and Feedback
Formative assessment is the process of understanding one’s current performance compared to desired performance and making necessary adjustments to improve the next time. Formative assessment also involves learning from one’s mistakes. A key part of the formative assessment process is non-judgmental developmental feedback.
Communication of Learning Targets
In the Health department, learning targets and quality performance are communicated through:
- A course syllabus including related learning targets given to both parents and students.
- Verbal and written communication of key learning targets at the beginning of each class and assignment.
- Rubrics and/or samples of what students should accomplish provided at the time projects and assignments are given.
- Exemplary projects shared with students when projects are assigned and explained.
- Review materials given before summative assessments.
- Modeling of CPR/AED and First Aid skills.
Developmental Feedback
In the Health department, students have the opportunity to improve their performance through formative assessment and timely developmental feedback through:
- Responses to student questions related to their performance, and answers to teacher posed questions during class.
- Responses to entire class as individual students demonstrate understanding or application of key concepts such as rationale for abstaining from risky behavior.
- Feedback on written assignments completed in class.
- Feedback when students are practicing CPR/AED and First Aid skills, either requested by the student or initiated by the instructor when an error is observed.
- Feedback to students who seek help during ISHP or after school.
- Written comments/corrections in relation to assignments, presentations, and projects.
- Peer feedback while students work on such skills as First Aid and CPR/AED.
Self Assessment
Accurately self-assessing one’s work empowers the learner to understand learning goals, monitor progress, and understand the relationship between the effectiveness of one’s effort and one’s improvement. In the Health department, students are expected to accurately self-assess their own work by:
- Assessing their knowledge and application of key health concepts as they complete journal entries, personal questionnaires, and assessments about various aspects of their personal health and the health of the community.
- Comparing their written homework responses to those of other students or the teacher’s.
- Comparing their work to rubrics or samples provided, or exemplary projects displayed on the bulletin board or shared with the class.
- Determining their need for help and seeking assistance from their instructor when working in class or during ISHP.
- Reflect on key learning targets at the end of major units through teacher posed questions, review activities, and selected projects.
Summative Assessment and Grading
The school board recognizes that formal grade reporting is necessary to provide summative information about student performance. Specifically, summative assessment and grade reporting inform students, parents, teaching staff and administration of how well a student meets learning objectives in a course and provides an official record of student performance.
Grading Criteria
Achievement of course learning objectives is the primary factor in determining grades. Furthermore, the most important skills and content knowledge are given the greatest weight. In the Health department, grades are determined by:
Summative Assessments
- Daily work - media/video reflections/questions, unit material summaries/reactions, family advocacy reflection, text concepts maps.
- Projects/major assignments - weekly article summary/reactions, two poster projects and one presentation per semester.
- Tests - given at the end of each unit as per the syllabus.
Weighting
- Semester Grade = 37.5% Quarter 1 + 37.5% Quarter 2 + 25% Final Exam
- Quarter Grade Weighting
- Daily work 20%
- Quizzes 15%
- Projects/Major Assignments 25%
- Tests 40%
Grading Scale
A 91-100
A- 90-90.99
B+ 89-89.99
B 81-88.99
B- 80-80.99
C+ 79-79.99
C 71.5-78.99
C- 70-71.49
D+ 69-69.99
D 61.5-68.99
D- 60-61.49
F 0-59.99
Extra Credit
Extra credit is not available within the Health department.
Late Work
- Daily work that is critically assessed by the teacher is worth 0-20 points, with one point lost for every day the work is late.
- Projects/major assignments lose three points for every day late. These assessments must be completed in order to earn credit for the course.
Redoing Summative Assessments
- Projects/major assignments that do not meet requirements may be redone provided the student initially puts forth a good faith effort.
- Unit tests may be retaken if the student attended the ISHP review session held before the test in question. Test retakes take place during ISHP and must occur before the next unit test.
Group Work
Group work is used when students benefit from working with other students to complete a task. Group work also develops team work and collaboration skills required for college and the real world. Group work will be graded individually after considering individual contributions to the final product.
Final Exam
A comprehensive final exam is given during the scheduled exam period.
Student Behavior/Effort
Behavior is a critical component to creating a respectful, supportive learning environment, and effort is a critical component in the learning process. In the Health department, behavior and effort are reported by the building-wide, quarterly behavior/effort marks.
Alignment to District Policies
This policy is aligned to District Grading Policy (345.1), District Homework Policy (345.3) and Accommodating Sincerely Held Religious Beliefs (323.1).
Behavior that disrupts the teaching and/or learning process for others will be addressed through the school district’s code of classroom conduct (443.7).
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