HPS Distance Learning Grading Guidelines 

Dear Students and Parents,

We hope this e-mail finds you and your family in the best of health. This guideline includes details of the grading practices Harmony will implement during at-home learning. Harmony’s main focus during these historic times is on the continuance of the learning process for our students, not on the grading of assignments. Best formative practices are promoted to include timely feedback, multiple opportunities, and additional time to ensure mastery of the concepts. Our administrators, teachers, and specialists are well-prepared to provide support and direction more than ever during this phase of distance learning.

Below you can find the details of grading for PreK-Kindergarten, grades 1-8, and high school.

Pre K – Kindergarten 

PK and Kindergarten teachers will provide assignments in Google Classrooms. Just like regular school time, they will continue grading in Skyward on academic indicators based on student progress in distance learning. Progress reports will be provided every three weeks.  

GRADES 1 – 8

Core Courses: Students will be assigned weekly assignments in core courses (Math, science, social studies, and language arts). Students are expected to return their assignments in various ways (Google Classroom, other integrated platforms, a picture taken). Math and ELA labs will be graded under the main course.

Electives/Specials: Teachers will assign optional weekly experiences in electives, technology applications, PE, and Fine Arts courses. No submission is required in those classrooms. 

Grading on Google Classroom: Progress Monitoring

• Grades will not be assigned until April 13, 2020, so that students and families can adjust to the routines of distance learning. 
• Starting April 13, numerical grades will be assigned by teachers in Google Classroom gradebook. 
• We ask our teacher to provide multiple opportunities to complete assignments. Retest and flexible deadlines are promoted. 

Skyward Gradebook: Official Grading

• No numerical grades will be assigned in Skyward during distance learning time (4th Quarter). Students will receive one of the performance indicators (PI) below at the end of a week based on their progress on Google Classrooms. 
• • E-Excellent
  • S-Satisfactory
  • N-Needs Improvement
  • I-Incomplete
• Overall Quarter4 PI:  Teachers will enter an overall PASS/FAIL/ or INCOMPLETE indicator for 4th quarter grade by the end of distance learning time. For electives and specials, teachers will enter X-Not Assessed indicator as Q4 grade.

Final Student Failure/Promotion Decisions: School Promotion Committee

• Student failure decisions will occur after the closure of distance learning. The school promotion committee should factor in both three-quarter performance and performance indicators during digital learning time.

*** High school guidelines apply to high school credit courses in middle school such as Algebra-1 & LOTE-I. 

HIGH SCHOOLS 

Core Courses: Students will be assigned weekly assignments in core courses (Math, science, social studies, language arts, and AP courses). Students are expected to return their assignments in various ways (Google Classroom, other integrated platforms, picture taken).  Students will be taking weekly assessments. 

Electives/Specials/CTE: Teachers will assign weekly experiences in technology applications, PE, CTE, Fine Arts, and other electives. Students will submit their assignments. No weekly assessment is promoted in those classrooms. 

AP Courses/ Dual Credit / On Ramps Courses: Weekly expectations may vary for AP/Dual credit courses based on approved syllabi by the college board and local community colleges. 

Local Credit Courses (Math Lab, ELA Lab, SAT/TSI Prep): Local campuses will decide on the level of support in those classrooms. Assignments will be optional and no submission is required. On the other hand, teachers may assign work from lab resources and grade it under the main class. 

Grading on Google Classroom: Progress Monitoring

• Grades will not be assigned until April 13, 2020, so that students and families can adjust to the routines of distance learning. 
• Starting April 13, numerical grades will be assigned by teachers in Google Classroom gradebook. 
• We ask our teacher to provide multiple opportunities to complete assignments. Retest and flexible deadlines are promoted. 

Skyward Gradebook: Official Grading

• No numerical grades will be assigned in Skyward during distance learning time (4th Quarter). Students will receive one of the performance indicators(PI) below at the end of a week based on their progress on Google Classrooms. 
  • E-Excellent
  • S-Satisfactory
  • N-Needs Improvement
  • I-Incomplete

• Overall Quarter4 PI:  Teachers will enter an overall PASS/FAIL/ or INCOMPLETE indicator for 4th quarter grade by the end of distance learning time. For electives and specials, teachers will enter X – Not Assessed indicator as Q4 grade.

Final Credit Awarding: School Graduation Committee  

• Credit awarding decisions will occur after the closure of distance learning. The committee should factor in both three-quarter performance and performance indicators during digital learning time.

Progression Plan During Distance Learning Time

• A student who did not receive a half credit for the fall semester (semester average less than 70) in a course may still receive full credit by factoring in the performance in the third quarter and distance learning time. If the average of the first three quarters is higher than 70 and receives an overall PASS indicator for the 4th quarter, the student should be awarded the full credit. 
• If the average of the first three quarters is below 70, the student may still earn a full credit based on distance learning performance and the school committee decision.

GPA/Senior Class Ranking 

• Credits earned from both regular courses and weighted courses (Honors, AP, Dual, PLTWY) in the spring semester (third quarter plus distance learning time) will not be counted towards GPA. 
• Final senior class ranking for the class of 2020 will be calculated based on GPA calculation at the end of the Fall 2019 semester. 

Credit Recovery Options 

• Our campuses are encouraged to provide distance learning options for those students in June/July to receive their missing credits. 

Valedictorian, Salutatorian

• The GPA and Class Rank as of the end of the first semester in the 2019-2020 school year will be used to determine Valedictorian and Salutatorian honors.

* All these guidelines are subject to change based on the most updated TEA guidelines. 

Dear Harmony Families & Team Members,

For the past 20 years, Harmony Public Schools has established an educational model built strongly on the foundations of science-based learning and responsible citizenship in our communities.

Currently, all available science from community health experts continues to tell us that the best way to be responsible members of our communities is to have our students and staff remain at home.

This is why we have determined that it is in the best interest of our students, team members, and communities to discontinue in-person schooling at our campuses and administrative offices statewide until further notice.

While these facilities remain closed, instruction and learning at Harmony schools will continue. Our classes are operating online through our established digital learning tools, taking advantage of many of the technology tools and blended learning methods already practiced in Harmony’s  physical classrooms. Because our teachers and school leaders will remain available to guide our students each school day, we anticipate instructional continuity during these unusual and difficult times. To request access to a Chromebook and/or for questions regarding internet access, please contact your child’s campus.

(For more information on our at-home learning program, visit HarmonyTX.org/AtHome . To request access to a Chromebook or internet access, contact your child’s campus.)

We will also continue to offer free meal services to children in our communities, as local and state safety guidelines allow.

We thank you for your support and understanding in making this critical decision. We also are profoundly grateful for the extreme determination and Harmony pride shown by both our students and team members these past several weeks. Time and again you have proven why Harmony Public Schools is an institution where excellence is the standard.

We will continue to provide timely updates as new, relevant information comes available, and inform you immediately if our campuses reopen prior to the end of the school year.

Thank you and be well,

Fatih Ay

CEO | Harmony Public Schools