Formative Assessments- These grades do not count directly towards a student’s final grade, but they are very important in helping students prepare for the summative grades. These grades such as homework and class work are considered a part of the learning process. Feedback will be given to students to help them improve and prepare for future summative grades.

Summative Assessments- These grades do count directly towards a student’s final grade. These grades such as quizzes, tests, essay responses, and projects are the most accurate and fair way to assess a student.  These assignments have been designed to determine the student’s level of mastery at the end of a unit of study.

I will accept late work with no penalty on the student's grade within a certain time period each marking period.   The expectation is that any missing assignments prior to Progress Reports be made up before the progress reports go home.  After that date those grades will remain a zero.  For the second half of each quarter, I will give the students a date on which all assignments between Progress Reports and the end of the marking period need to be made up.  This date will usually be one week before I have to post my final grades.  I will post this information to my website and have it posted in my room as well.

Summative assessements are broken into two categories:

Major: Tests, Projects, Essays, DBQ Assignments-65% of final grade

Minor: Quizzes, Mini Projects, In Class DBQs-35% of final grade

Any student can retake a test (I only allow retakes on tests) they are not happy with their grade on during the retake window (given at time test is returned) as long as there are no missing formative assessments for that unit.  If a student has any pink slips (see below) for any assignments for that unit they must be made up prior to them retaking their test. This will give the students a chance to catch up on any work that may have hindered them from doing their best on the initial test.  Students will be given a choice to take the initial grade or the retake grade.

Pink Slips are given to students who do not have an assignment to turn in or show for credit on the due date for that assignment.  You can see a copy of what these look like here  Pink Slip  .  Students will fill these out and they will be kept on file.  In the grade book you will see a “0? with the notation “Pink Slip Given” and the date.  Once this assignment is made up it will then have the updated grade with the notation “Assignment made Up” and the date of that.  This is a good way for students to take some ownership of their work as well as myself to keep track  of missing assignments.