School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 6-72.1
INSTRUCTION
Student Evaluation and Grading/Class Rank
A. Grading Codes
1. Kindergarten
a. Personal and Physical Development
O - Outstanding
S - Satisfactory
N - Needs improvement
U - Unsatisfactory
X - Area of concern/needs additional attentionb. Intellectual Development
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 evaluated2. Elementary (Grades 1‑5)
a. Academic Progress
(1) Grades 1- 2
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(2) Grades 3 -5
A = (93 – 100)
A- = (90 – 92)
B+ = (87 – 89)
B = (83 – 86)
B- = (82 – 80)
C+ = (77 – 79)
C = (73 – 76)
C- = (70 – 72)
D+ = (67 – 69)
D = (64 – 66)
E = Below 64
NE - Not evaluated
X - Area of concern/Needs additional attentionb. Student progress in citizenship, work habits, art, music, health and physical education
(1) Grades 1- 5
0 - Outstanding
S - Satisfactory
N - Needs improvement
U - Unsatisfactory
NE - Not evaluated
X - Area of concern/Needs additional attention
Editor's Note
See also Virginia Beach City Public Schools "Grading and Reporting Student Progress-A Handbook for Elementary Teachers" (October 2000).
3. Secondary (Grades 6‑12)
Numerical equivalents are authorized for the convenience of teachers in support of letter grades and are not to be interpreted as recommended for evaluating all phases of learning in any given subject. Numerical equivalents are as follows:
A = (93 – 100)
A- = (90 – 92)
B+ = (87 – 89)
B = (83 – 86)
B- = (82 – 80)
C+ = (77 – 79)
C = (73 – 76)
C- = (70 – 72)
D+ = (67 – 69)
D = (64 – 66)
E = Below 644. Grade Change Procedures
If a student or parent or legal guardian questions a grade, the procedures listed below will be used.
a. The student and/or parent or legal guardian will request the teacher to review the grading process and computation.
b. 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.
c. The student and/or parent or legal guardian may appeal the teacher's decision to the principal.
d. 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.
B. Class Rank
The following procedures will be used in computing the class rank of students.
1. Procedure for All Courses
Each final grade will be given the indicated value: A=4, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B=3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C=2.0, C- = 1.7, D+ = 1.3, D=1.0, E=O. Each indicated value for a year course is to be recorded twice, and each indicated value for a semester course is to be recorded once. The values are to be totaled and divided by the number of values used to obtain the total. The division of the total is to be carried to four (4) decimal places in obtaining the grade point average of the student.
2. Advanced Placement Credit
After the grade point average of the student has been determined, bonus credit will be added for advanced placement courses and specifically approved courses such as international baccalaureate and magnet courses. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction will determine which courses are to receive bonus credit. Bonus credit will be awarded as follows for year courses: (A, A-) =.0488, (B+, B, B-) =.0366, (C+, C, C-) =.0244, (D+, D) =.0122, E=O. Bonus credit will be awarded as follows for semester courses: (A , A-) = .0244; (B+, B, B-) = .0183; (C+, C, C-) = .0122; (D+, D) = .0061; and E = 0.
Example (using the data from the above example):
Total Grade Point Average: 3.4167
1 Yearlong Advanced Placement Course, with grade of "A/93": .0488 bonus
1 Semester Magnet Course, with a grade of "B/86": .0183 bonusComputation: 3.4167 + .0488 + .0183 = 3.4838
Final Total Grade Point Average: 3.4838
3. After a course has been passed, no future grade earned in the same course or its equivalent will be used in determining class rank or student grade point average, except as provided in Regulation 5-26.2.
4. Class rank will be determined by assigning the student with the highest average the rank of number one (1); the second highest, the rank of number two (2), etc. In cases where more than one student has the same numerical average, all students with that average will be given the same rank. The next highest average will assume the next rank position, which will indicate the number of students having a higher rank.
| Example: | Student No. 1 3.9880 | Rank 1 |
| Student No. 2 3.9880 | Rank 1 | |
| Student No. 3 3.8972 | Rank 3 | |
| Student No. 4 3.8972 | Rank 3 |
The student with the next highest average will have the rank of five (5) in the class, indicating that there are four (4) students who rank higher.
5. Class rank will be determined at the end of the senior year. All credits earned, regardless of the grade level, will be used in determining class rank.
6. A student with a 3.000 cumulative grade point average or higher will be considered an honor graduate.
7. The student or students with the highest rank at the end of the senior year will be declared the valedictorian(s) of the graduating class. The student or students with the second highest rank at the end of the senior year will be declared the salutatorian(s).
Editor's Note
School Board Policy 5‑29 at Part C reads "To be eligible as or valedictorian(s)/salutatorian(s) students must complete the last four (4) consecutive semesters in the high school."
Approved by Superintendent: July 16, 1991
Revised by Superintendent: October 19, 1993
Revised by Superintendent: January 18, 1994 (not distributed)
Revised by Superintendent: April 19, 1994
Revised by Superintendent: December 20, 1994
Revised by Superintendent: October 31, 2000
Revised by Superintendent: October 17, 2001
Amended by the School Board: April 20, 2010