NORTHFIELD CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 6147.1
Northfield, New Jersey Monitored
Mandated
Policy X Other Reasons
EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Grading
The Superintendent, in consultation with the teaching staff, shall develop a marking system to be used uniformly in the same grade level throughout the schools. The system should be clear, easily understood by parents/guardians and students, and able to be applied with consistency of interpretation. Computation of grade point average and rank in class shall be uniform throughout the district. Evaluation and grading symbols shall be intended to appraise the student’s progress toward established goals, and shall be a factor in promotion/graduation decisions.
The Northfield City Board of Education encourages the certified staff, under the direction of the Superintendent, to employ a comprehensive approach to the use of appraisal and evaluative techniques in monitoring student progress, including, but not limited to, written and oral teacher made tests, performance observation, parent/guardian interviews, formal and informal evaluation techniques, use of cumulative student records, and medical examinations. Recognized standardized achievement tests may also be used in grades designated by the board.
Testing
In addition to testing procedures established in policy 5120 Assessment of Individual Needs, the school district shall establish and maintain a general testing program to:
A. Improve the instructional program to assist students in achieving New Jersey Learning Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts and Literacy and the Core Curriculum Content Standards;
B. Measure the needs and progress of individual students;
C. Measure the achievement of grade levels;
D. Allow comparison of district students with national or other norms;
E. Aid in evaluation of programs.
The district testing program shall embody at least the tests required by state and federal law. The administration shall continually scrutinize the applicability and effectiveness of tests being used in the district.
School personnel shall not use tests, procedures or other guidance and counseling materials that are differentiated or stereotyped on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, nationality, disability, marital status, familial status, pregnancy or social or economic status.
Any requests for surveys, student observations, or student questionnaires must be forwarded through the principal’s office to the Superintendent’ office for approval before any survey or observation can be conducted. If the survey concerns any of the topics described in statute, the Superintendent shall obtain written consent from parents/guardians or the students being surveyed at least two weeks prior to its administration.
Individual results of standardized tests, including intelligence tests, shall be made available to parents/guardians upon their request, but shall be considered confidential information to be available only to authorized persons. School and district test results shall be discussed in a public meeting.
Emergency School Closure:
In the event of an extended school building closure, the administration may modify the assessment of the students’ academic performance and issue grades that are different from the traditional “A, B, C…” letter grades. The determination to issue the modified grading will be made on a case-by-case basis with respect to each marking period affected by the closure.
Hybrid School Program:
Grading for core subjects (i.e. ELA, math, science, and social studies) during a hybrid school program schedule will remain consistent with grading during the regular school program schedule (i.e. A, B, C…) and all of the aspects of Regulation 6147.1 – Evaluation of Individual Student Performance (i.e. preparation for grading, grading periods, basis for grading, etc.) will remain in effect.
Grading for the Related Arts classes (i.e. art, music, physical education, etc.) during a hybrid school program schedule will be reflected as:
O = Outstanding
S = Satisfactory
N – Needs Improvement
Adopted: No Date
NJSBA Review/Update: December 2009; December 2010
Readopted: October 24, 2011
Revised: January 2019; May 2020; November 2020
Key Words
Evaluation, Student Evaluation, Student Evaluation, Class Rank, Grading, Testing, Examinations
Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:7C3, 4, 6, -6.2 Remedial instruction for students not meeting graduation standards
N.J.S.A. 18A:111 General mandatory powers and duties
N.J.S.A. 18A:35-4.9 Student promotion and remediation, policies and procedures
N.J.S.A. 18A:3634 Written approval required prior to acquisition of certain survey information from students
N.J.S.A. 18A:5420 Powers of board (county vocational schools)
N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.7 Equality in school and classroom practice
N.J.A.C. 6A:8-1.1 et seq. Standards and Assessments
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:8-1.3, -4.1, -5.1
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-1.4(c) District policies and procedures
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.4 Evaluation process for the annual review
N.J.A.C. 6A:32-2.1 Definitions
N.J.A.C. 6A:32-7.1 Student Records
N.J.A.C. 6A:32-12.2 School-level planning
34 CFR 98 Protection of Student Rights
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-110, 20 U.S.C.A. 6301 et seq.
Talarsky v. Edison Township Board of Education, 1977 S.L.D. 862
Possible
Cross References: *1000/1010 Concepts and roles in community relations; goals and objectives
*1120 Board of education meetings
*5113 Absences and excuses
*5120 Assessment of individual needs
*5124 Reporting to parents/guardians
*5125 Student records
*5141.3 Health examinations and immunizations
*6142.6 Basic skills
*6146 Graduation requirements
*6146.2 Promotion/retention
*6147 Standards of proficiency
*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.