Littleton Public Schools Regulation

Policy Code    IKA-R Policy Name    High School Grading Systems Adoption            January 29, 2009 Revised

Grading practices in LPS high schools are to incorporate the following guidelines to begin with all students in August 2009 and will not be applied retroactively:

Weighted Grades

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses are weighted. Some honors courses are weighted at Littleton High School in order to maintain equity between the AP and IB programs. The following scale will be used for weighted grades: A = 5, B = 4, C = 3, D = 1, F = 0.

Grades for transfer students are weighted only in the classes which are weighted at the school into which the student transfers. Advanced placement refers only to the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program.

College Courses: College courses taken by LPS high school students do not count as weighted grades unless they exceed Advanced Placement/IB standards. Prior approval is required by the building principal or designee in order to weight a college course.

Transfer Grades

All previous high school grades of incoming transfer students from outside the District to Littleton Public Schools shall be recorded on their transcripts. In addition, all students entering from outside the District must meet the District graduation requirements. Transfer credits/grades from other accredited high schools must meet criteria of the Littleton Public School that the student is attending. Each course completed outside of the District will be reviewed and transcribed according to the LPS high school credit system.

The District shall accept the transcripts from a home-based educational program. In order to determine where the courses and grades earned are consistent with District requirements and District academic standards, the District shall require submission of the student’s work or other proof of academic performance for each course which credit toward graduation is sought. All students from home-based programs must demonstrate proficiency in the District-adopted content standards at their appropriate placement level before being placed in that particular grade. The District may test the student to determine placement.

Students transferring to Littleton Public Schools during their senior year shall not be graduated before eight full semesters, including course work and residency from preceding school. These senior transfer students shall be expected to carry a minimum senior course load while enrolled in the District.

Pass/Fail Option

In Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 students may elect to take a course on a pass/fail basis. Pass/fail courses that are passed are not included in the GPA, but do count for graduation credit. Pass/fail courses that are failed, however, do count into GPA and therefore affect class rank. Students may elect to take no more than one class per semester on a pass/fail basis. Students may request their pass/fail designation be changed to the earned letter grade up to two weeks after the end of the semester in which that class was completed. A course required for graduation may not be taken using the pass/fail option.

Course Withdrawal Grades

Students may drop a class up until 10 school days after the start of the semester with no penalty. After 10 days, students in Grades 10 –12 will receive a withdrawal/fail unless there are extenuating circumstances. Withdrawal/fail grades will be calculated in the GPA and remain on the transcript.

Repeated Courses

Any student in Grades 10 –12 may repeat a course in which he/she received an F. The grade for the repeated course will be averaged with the previous mark and will be used in determining overall GPA. Repeated courses can be taken online, in the building or through summer school. Courses must be approved by a building administrator.

Recoverability for Freshmen

Beginning with the class of 2013, N/C (no credit) will be applied to all courses failed by freshmen. This procedure places a value on what students know and can do and not on past mistakes. The intent is to provide motivation for “starting new” after a poor freshman year, and to provide an incentive to work towards graduation.

At the end of each semester, teachers will give grades as they always do, including F’s. All students, including freshmen, will receive report cards with the F’s indicated. The freshmen F’s will be converted administratively to N/C (no credit) after the report cards are printed. The N/C grades will not figure into the cumulative GPA. Required courses for which a student receives an “F” must be retaken and a passing grade obtained in order for the student to meet LPS graduation requirements.

Only F’s assigned by LPS teachers while students are enrolled in an LPS high school will be converted. Freshman F’s earned outside of LPS will not be converted.

Repeated courses can be taken online, in the building or through summer school. Courses must be approved by a counselor or building administrator.