Academics
General Information
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Millbrook School Grading Plan
MILLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL
School Grading Plan
In the Wake County Public School System, we are committed to maintaining rigorous performance and achievement standards for all students and to providing a fair and consistent process for evaluating and reporting student progress that is understandable to students and their parents and relevant for instructional purposes.
The information below shares specific information about grading at our school.
HOMEWORK
Millbrook High School follows board policy 5510. The following are school-wide expectations for homework:
● The purpose of homework is to enrich and extend school experiences through related home activities and reinforce learning by providing practice and application.
● Homework in grades 9-12 may not exceed 120 minutes per day, therefore, 30 minutes per class.
● Students are encouraged to review notes from each class, even though a written assignment may not be given on a particular day.
● If a student fails to complete homework, the teacher will accept the original assignment or an alternate assignment at the teacher’s discretion. See late work policy for possible credit deduction and timeline for acceptance.
The following are grade/subject specific expectations for the completion and grading of homework:
● The evaluation of homework should not exceed 15% of the student’s grade.
● Teachers should give timely and specific feedback on homework assignments.
● If a student fails to complete homework, the teacher will accept the original assignment or an alternate assignment at the teacher’s discretion. See late work policy for possible credit deduction and timeline for acceptance.
CLASSWORK & ASSESSMENTS
The following are school-wide expectations for classwork and assessments:
● Classwork assignments and assessments used as practice/formative assessments should not be measured within the grading system.
● Classwork and assessments used to measure student learning may be used within the grading system.
MISSED WORK
The following are school-wide expectations for missed work:
● If the absence is approved in advance and/or if the work is assigned by the teacher in advance, all make-up work, including tests assigned for the day of return, is due upon the student’s return to school. Teachers should use discretion and may make exceptions in the case of students whose excused absences were not planned in advance, were beyond the student’s control, and the nature of which would not support make-up work the day of return.
● If the make-up work has not been assigned in advance, for absences of one (1) to three (3) days, the student will have one day for each day absent. For absences exceeding three (3) days, the student may have two (2) days for each day absent to make up work. Special consideration will be given in the case of extended absences due to injury or chronic illness
The following are grade/subject specific expectations for the completion and grading of late work:
- Late work is defined as any work that was not turned in on the day it was due.
- Late work should be turned in up to the date of the unit assessment; however, once a due date passes, an alternat/adjusted assignment may be given at the teacher's discretion. This assignment shall cover the same objectives as the original assignment.
- Assigned classwork is not subject to the late work policy and will be graded at the teacher's discretion.
The following are grade/subject specific expectations for the completion and grading of missed work:
● Please refer to the section about missed absences for information on due dates, etc.
PREVENTION-INTERVENTION PLAN
For students at risk of academic failure, our school seeks to provide a prevention/intervention system that promotes successful completion and mastery of work. Details of our plan are below.
The following are school-wide expectations for how we support prevention-intervention efforts:
● School wide tutoring schedule
● SAP, CIS, Graduate, other mentoring possibilities
● Counselor referrals
● Intervention Team/Coordinator
● SST
● RTI
● Pyramid of Interventions - the order in which these steps are taken
● Academic Recovery Plans
● Attendance contracts that are followed through until the end
The following are grade/subject specific expectations for prevention and intervention:
● Every course at Millbrook HIgh School will offer grade recovery after appropriate interventions. These interventions will be determined by the teacher of the course and will be consistently implemented across each course. Each department has the discretion to enhance this policy to meet course expectations.
● Additional student-specific interventions and guidance can be provided through the Student Services department.
EXTRA CREDIT
● Extra credit will not be offered at Millbrook High School. Recovery credit will be offered according to the Millbrook prevention/intervention plan.
- Late work is defined as any work that was not turned in on the day it was due.
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Strategies for Succcess
Building Better Study Skills
Jonathan wants to improve his grades from C’s to B’s. He pays attention in class, but studying is tough for him. When test time comes, he doesn’t feel like he’s ready. What can he do? High schoolers need good study skills to organize, review and remember information. Improving these skills can help students get better grades. Share these study tips with your teen.Focusing on important ideas
Encourage your teen to focus on what the teacher discusses and writes on the board. When she’s reading at home, she should pay attention to the titles that divide each chapter. These titles help point out main ideas in the text. Also, have her look over past homework assignments.Making study time count
Setting aside study time every day is important. Most students remember more by reviewing in shorter, daily sessions. Your high schooler should divide big projects into small goals. Example: He could study one chapter a night for a week instead of all five chapters the night before a test.Dealing with distractions
It’s natural for a teen’s mind to wander while studying. Encourage your high schooler to control stray thoughts by writing them down and setting them aside until later. This helps clear her mind and puts the focus back on her work. She can review the thoughts after she finishes studying. When it comes to study techniques, it’s important for your teen to find methods that work – and turn them into habits.