HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Henrico Schools will not grade schoolwork completed at home while schools are closed due to to COVID-19 crisis, Henrico Superintendent Amy Cashwell wrote in an email to parents.
"The school division’s period for grading and reporting student progress has ended, effective the date schools closed, March 13. In general, students will be moving up to the next grade level, and our efforts to provide options are very much ongoing," she wrote. "While I realize how disappointing ending the graded school year may be, I believe this decision is in the best interest of all of our students, and reduces undue stress in student households."
Cashwell cited equity and access to learning for all students as factors in the decision.
"We recognize that as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis, many of our students and their families are facing increased hardships and challenges such as managing the logistics of working from home, financial concerns, and caring for young children and sick relatives," she said.
Specifics on how student grades will be calculated are as follows:
Moving up to the next grade level – Elementary students
In general, students will be moving up to the next grade level. If grade-level retention was being considered for an elementary student before the close of schools March 13, and the school team and parents were in agreement, a continuation of that discussion may proceed.
n addition, the interim report for Marking Period 3 (MP3) must have indicated that the student was experiencing difficulty that warranted retention, per Henrico County Public Schools Policies and Regulations.
The school team and parents should be in agreement about the appropriateness of the proposed placement for 2020-21.
The early closure of schools for the 2019-20 school year should not be a factor in retention considerations.
Closing out grades – Elementary students
In order to ensure equity and that students’ final grades are in no way negatively impacted by the school closure, students will be assigned an S (Successful) or N (Needs Improvement) based on their performance in each subject area for MP3.
Elementary teachers began to finalize all MP3 work Monday, March 30. Teachers will post final MP3 grades by Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m.
Grades PK-1:
Any student who currently has an average of 2.0 or above for marking period 3 (MP3) as of March 13, based on teacher grades in PowerSchool, will receive an “S” (Successful) denotation on the report card for that subject. Any student who currently has an average of 1.9 or below as of March 13, based on teacher grades in PowerSchool, will receive an “N” (Needs Improvement) denotation for that subject.
Grades 2-5:
Any student who currently has an average of 60 or above for MP3 as of March 13, based on teacher grades in PowerSchool, will receive an “S” (Successful) denotation on the report card for that subject. Any student who currently has an average of 59 or below as of March 13, based on teacher grades in PowerSchool, will receive an “N” (Needs Improvement) denotation for that subject.
What will be available for elementary students?
Optional review and enrichment opportunities will be provided that support connections to previously taught material, as well as the extension of skills/attributes within the Henrico Learner Profile, including social-emotional learning.
Moving up to the next grade – Middle/high students
In general, students will be moving up to the next grade level.
Students and families will have options to consider.
Students on track to graduate in June 2020
School counselors are already reviewing transcripts and course histories to apply for state waivers and create clear paths toward graduation for each student who is currently on track.
Beginning after Spring Break, school personnel will be confirming graduation, end-of-year grades, and necessary next steps with all students who are on track to graduate. Messages will be communicated by phone, email, mail and/or Schoology after Spring Break.
Closing out grades – Middle/high students
As of March 13, 75% of Marking Period 3 (MP3) was completed, yet many students’ assignments, projects and assessments may still have been incomplete.
Additionally, teachers may not yet have provided additional assignments that might have helped students’ grade(s). We also recognize that many students were counting on the next few months to improve their grades and meet their goals for the year.
Middle and high school students who wish to do so will have the opportunity to continue to work with their teachers to improve grades between April 14 and April 24.
How will final grades be calculated for the 2019-20 school year?
For yearlong courses, a 33.3% calculation for each marking period. An average of MP1, MP2, and MP3 will then be used for the final course grade. For semester-long, Semester 2 courses, the final grade will be calculated based on grades earned through March 13. Students in Semester 2 classes have the same option of completing recovery work.
Grades will be updated and posted in PowerSchool by 8 a.m., Friday, April 3, so that parents and students can view their grade status and select their option. Final grades will be posted by Friday, May 1 at 4 p.m.
To close out students’ 2019-20 grades, two options are available for students in grades 6-11:
Option I
- Parent or guardian accepts MP3 grade as posted Friday, April 3. (Based on work completed before 3/13).
- Students enrolled in a high school credit-bearing course with an associated verified credit (e.g., related SOL) who have not already earned the required amount of verified credits to meet diploma requirements, will need to take part in continued virtual learning/assessment to earn a Locally Awarded Verified Credit (LAVC). School staff will be identifying these students and providing them with next steps.
- No further action is needed by the student, or the parent or guardian, with regard to the 2019-20 school year grades.
Option II
- Students can improve their final MP3 grade by completing optional recovery assignments in Schoology on previously assigned content for MP3. These opportunities will be provided by teachers via Schoology beginning April 14. In some cases, teachers may choose to consider work that has already been assigned and students have completed and submitted in Schoology during the closure. Students must complete and submit all recovery assignments as assigned by their teachers, by Friday, April 24 at 4 p.m.
- Participation in the optional recovery plan can only improve a student’s grade. Student grades will not decrease based on work completed as part of the optional recovery plan.
- Students enrolled in a high school credit-bearing course with an associated verified credit (e.g., related SOL) who have not already earned the required amount of verified credits to meet diploma requirements, will need to take part in continued virtual learning/assessment to earn a Locally Awarded Verified Credit (LAVC). School staff will be identifying these students and providing them with next steps.
Students who are on track to graduate in 2020, who are enrolled in an Edgenuity class and have completed 45% or more of the class, and have a passing OVERALL grade can have the class closed out for the year. Those students will earn the course credit for the class. (Note: In Edgenuity, the “Overall Grade” is the average grade for assignments completed by the student. The “Actual Grade” in Edgenuity calculates the final grade and includes assignments that the student has not completed with a “0” grade.)
If the student has 45% or higher course completion but does not have a passing Overall Grade, then the student will be allowed to continue working in Edgenuity to improve his or her grade. This could mean assessment retakes or continuing with class instruction and assessments. Students have until May 1 to improve their Overall Grade.
If a student has NOT reached 45% or higher course completion, then the student will be allowed to continue working on his or her Edgenuity class. Seniors will have until May 1 to reach the set course completion percentage.
Students in Grades 8-11:
- All other students enrolled in a high-school credit-bearing Edgenuity course who have successfully completed 75% or more of the course with a passing grade will earn credit for the course.
- Students who have completed 75% or more of the course and do not have a passing grade may continue working through May 1 to improve their grade and earn credit for the course.
- Students who have not completed 75% of the course may continue working through May 1 to reach a 75% completion rate or higher to earn credit for the course.
"Beginning on April 14 (the Tuesday after Spring Break), the goal of the continued instructional plan is to ensure students have access to quality, engaging, pre-K-12 experiences," Cashwell continued. "Teachers will continue to provide students with differentiated, flexible learning opportunities designed to best meet each student’s and family’s unique needs."
For more details about grading, click here.