The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
District to issue pass/incomplete grades this semester
The Riverside School District has altered the grading structure for the final portion of the 2019-20 school year.
The last day of school for Riverside High School seniors was May 20, with underclassmen to follow with their final day on May 28.
Instead of final letter grades being issued, students will instead face a “pass or incomplete.”
More specific indications of progress will be indicated on report cards but a student’s advancement into the next grade will come down to the pass or incomplete determination.
This change comes as fallout from the adjustments schools, students and entire communities have had to make in the face of social distancing precautions related to the potential spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Riverside made the decision to utilize pass/incomplete for students this semester based on a variety of factors,” said Riverside Director of Curriculum and Instruction Melissa Mlakar. “We took into account the challenges facing students, families and teachers during this difficult time. We believe that this was the best decision for the majority of our students.
“This was not intended to be a ‘forever’ decision, but rather one that was made with the best information we had at the time,” she said. “Moving forward, after there has been time for teacher professional development, addressing accessibility issues, and understanding student social-emotional needs, Riverside intends to return to the more traditional form of grading and assessing student learning.”
Middle and high school students also will receive a pass or incomplete grading based on the last nine weeks of schooling and the modified course work they were tasked to complete.
“Students who have an ‘I’ grade will be given an intervention plan and an opportunity to earn a passing grade through the early fall of the 2020-21 school year,” a statement from the district read.
There will also be no second semester exams for students between eighth and 12th grade. Because there are no letter grades for the end of the year, student GPAs have not been calculated.
“In essence, cumulative GPA calculation has been put on hold,” the district stated.
The GPA students received at the end of the first semester will be the GPA they bring with them into the 2020-21 school year.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association said they will accept a “passing” grade as credit to continue eligibility to participate in athletics. Riverside typically requires a minimum 1.75 GPA to participate in sports. As long as students met that threshold at the end of their first semester they will remain eligible.
“Students who did not have a 1.75 GPA at the end of the first semester, and wish to participate in fall sports, will be contacted by their school counselors to discuss eligibility and fall sports participation,” according to the district.
“We took into account the challenges facing students, families and teachers during this difficult time. We believe that this was the best decision for the majority of our students.”
— Riverside Director of Curriculum and Instruction Melissa Mlakar