ACADEMIC PROCEDURES

HOMEWORK
The purpose of homework is to reinforce concepts taught in school. Homework is assigned on a regular basis. A general rule of thumb is 10 minutes per grade. If your child is taken an unusual amount of time to complete homework, please contact the teacher.

GRADING
Report cards are issued quarterly. The Diocese of Birmingham uses the following grading system in all its schools:

Kindergarten and Grade One: A checklist with the following qualifiers listed below:
M - Mastered
I - Improving
NP – No Progress
NA – Not applicable at this time

Grades 2 through 8: Grading at these levels will be letter grades with a scale given on the report card. Both percents and letter grades will be listed on the interim progress reports. The following subjects will be graded with letters: religion, reading/literature (language arts), math, science, social studies, music, art, physical education. Computer and library do not receive letter grades since they are tools to be integrated into all areas of the curriculum.
The grading scale will be as follows:
    A 100 - 93
    B 92 - 84
    C 83 - 74
    D 73 - 65
    F 64 and below

REPORT CARDS / PROGESS REPORTS
Report cards are distributed every nine weeks. Parent - Teacher Conferences are held after the first marking period. Progress reports are sent home at mid-term (about the fifth week) to indicate the student’s standing in academic and behavioral areas.

HONOR ROLL
There are two types of Honor Rolls for students in 2nd grade and above, an “All A” and an “A & B”. Students must have no “U”s (unsatisfactory) for the grading period. There are no Honor Rolls for grades K, 1st, or 2nd.

PROMOTION / RETENTION POLICY
At the end of the school year, students are either promoted or retained. A student fails for the year if he/she has a yearly average below 65 or “F” in two or more of the following areas: Reading, English, Math, Science, or Social Studies. Students may be retained for reasons other than grades if a decision is reached cooperatively among the teacher, principal, and parents. When there is disagreement, the decision of the principal is final.

ASSESSMENTS
Students in grades 3, 5, and 7 take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Students in grades 4 and 8 take a Diocesan Writing Assessment. Grades 5 – 8 are also assessed with the Diocesan Religion Test. Students are assessed in Math in the 6th grade. They are assessed in Technology Education in grades 2, 4, 6, and 8.