School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 5-28.1

Student Evaluation - Reports

All appropriate means will be used to communicate student progress to parents.

A. Report Cards/Progress Reports

1. All students in the school division will be formally evaluated four times a year.

2. The division Superintendent will designate the four (4) nine-week grading periods.

3. All teachers will use approved report cards/progress reports.

4. Report cards/progress reports will be issued within five (5) school days following the close of the grading period.

5. Grading of students will be accomplished according to the school division's guidelines and grading scale. (Note: The pass/fail option may be used in lieu of a formal grade in noncredit classes for the ESL middle school student with an English proficiency of Levels 1-2.)

B. Informal Progress Reports

All students, Grades 1 through 12, will receive informal progress reports at the midpoint of the first and third grading periods. Students who are performing below expected levels will receive informal progress reports at the midpoint of the second and fourth grading periods. Instructional personnel in secondary schools will use the Pinnacle Progress Reports for reporting informal student progress to parents. Elementary schools will use the official printed progress report form for reporting informal student progress to parents.

C. Informal Reports

Teachers are encouraged to use various informal means of reporting student progress including conferences, telephone calls, notes, and school visitations.

D. Student Evaluation - Grading

The following regulations apply to the evaluation of student achievement.

1. Guidelines for teachers have been developed to assist staff members in assessing and reporting student progress to parents or legal guardians.

2. Exams serve as a culminating activity, and written semester examinations will be administered in all courses bearing credit toward graduation, except as noted in the Guidelines for Grading and Reporting Student Progress in the Middle and Senior High Schools.

3. Honor graduates are those students having a 3.0000 cumulative grade point average at the end of the senior year.

4. The code for marking students in grades K-2 and approved for use in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools is as follows:

4            Exceeds grade level expectations
3            Meets grade level expectations
2            Experiences difficulty meeting grade level expectations
1            Does not meet grade level expectations
X            Area of concern/needs additional attention
NE         Not evaluated

The numerical scale approved for use in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools for grades 3 – 12 is as follows:

A                       94-100                                            Superior
B                       86-93                                              Above Average
C                      78-85                                              Average
D                      70-77                                              Below Average
E                       69 and below                                Failing

5. Students may receive “P” for passed and “F” for failed on transfer courses. “P” will be counted as credit for completing a course but as neutral when calculating GPA. “F” will not be counted as credit for a course but will be counted as an “E” when calculating GPA.

6. Students may receive a “W” for withdrawal from a class if after 30 days into the school year they drop a course. A “W” will count as not completing the course and calculated as an “E” when determining GPA.

7. Students may receive an “I” for incomplete. An “I” will revert to an “E” 30 days after the end of the school year.

8. Students may receive an “N” as a semester grade for failure due to attendance. “N” will be calculated as an “E” when determining GPA. “N” will not be used as a final grade. The grade of “E” will be the final grade.

E. Student Evaluation Grade Change Procedures

If a student or parent or legal guardian questions a grade, the procedures listed below will be used.

1. The student and/or parent or legal guardian will request the teacher to review the grading process and computation.

2. Following the review, the teacher will decide if a grade change should be made and will inform the student and/or parent or legal guardian of the decision.

3. The student and/or parent or legal guardian may appeal the teacher's decision to the principal.

4.  If the teacher is not available, the principal will review the grading process and/or computation and will inform the student and/or parent or legal guardian and the teacher of the decision.

F.  Student Promotion/Placement Criteria

Principals shall ensure that each student's record contains all criteria used in making placement and promotion decisions, as well as any instructional interventions used to improve the student's performance. This information shall be communicated to the student.

Editor's Note
Also see Guidelines for Grading and Reporting Student Progress in the Middle and Senior High Schools.
See school division website: www.vbschools.com.

Legal Reference:
Board of Education Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia,§ VAC 20-131-10 et seq .

Approved by Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by Superintendent: October 19, 1993
Revised by Superintendent: December 20, 1994
Revised by Superintendent: February 21, 1995 (Effective date of December 20, 1994 revisions delayed until July 1, 1995 by Board action February 21, 1995.)
Revised by Superintendent: August 13, 1997
Revised by Superintendent: October 8, 1998
Revised by Superintendent: October 18, 2000
Revised by Superintendent: May 26, 2004
Revised by Superintendent: April 17, 2008