Grading Guidelines & Rubrics
K-2 Standards Based Report Cards
Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, Vance County Schools will implement a new K-2 Standards Based Report Card in an effort to report student progress in a manner that is consistent and aligned with state curriculum standards. The report card informs parents about student progress toward critical skills/standards that are expected for the grade level.
The standards-based report card is designed to give parents/guardians helpful information on the progress of their child(ren) throughout the school year. Unlike students in grades 3-12 who receive a letter grade for each content area, K-2 students will receive feedback on their progress towards mastering each standard.
VCS is committed to providing families with high-quality information on students’ academic and social progress. The rubrics below have been specifically designed to help parents/guardians better understand the reporting format and indicators. A sample report card can be viewed by clicking on the grade level.
| Grade Level | Subject Area Rubrics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KINDERGARTEN | Science -updated | Math | Art | Music | PE/Health | ||
| 1ST GRADE | Reading/Writing | Science - updated | Math | Social Studies | Art | Music | PE/Health |
| 2ND GRADE | Reading/Writing | Science - updated | Math | Social Studies | Art | Music | PE/Health |
Student Grading Guidelines – Grades 3-12
The following grading guidelines form a foundation for consistent grading practices throughout Vance County Schools for students in grades 3-12:
Grading Scale
The following grading scale is used to evaluate and report student learning in all academic areas, including writing and specials/electives:
|
Numerical Value & Letter Grade |
Designated Meaning |
|
90-100 A |
Designates the status of a student who consistently demonstrates a thorough understanding and skill application in the content area and/or the curriculum objectives for the course |
|
80-89 B |
Designates the status of a student who demonstrates a high degree of understanding and skill application in the content area and/or the curriculum objectives for the course. |
|
70-79 C |
Designates the status of a student who demonstrates a satisfactory understanding and skill application in the content area and/or the curriculum objectives for the course. |
|
60-69 D |
Designates the status of a student who needs significant practice and instructional experiences to acquire the knowledge of basic content and skills specified in the content area and/or the curriculum objectives for the course. |
|
59 and below F |
Designates the status of a student who has not demonstrated the basic knowledge of content and/or skills specified and requires additional practice and instructional experiences in order to meet the curriculum objectives for the grade level/course. |
Grading Categories and Percentages
To ensure that grades assigned to students are equitable and consistent across the district, content grading parameters such as category weights and minimums are used.
Categories and percentages of grade:
|
Percentage of Grade |
Category |
|
40% |
CLASSWORK |
|
30% |
ASSESSMENT |
|
20% |
APPLICATION OF LEARNING |
|
10% |
HOMEWORK |
Minimum number of assignments each grading period for all subjects except electives:
- 2 ASSESSMENT GRADES
- 2 APPLICATION GRADES
- 6 CLASSWORK GRADES
- 6 HOMEWORK GRADES
PowerSchool Parent/Guardian Portal
Parents and/or legal guardians of Vance County Schools students are able to get a "real-time" view of their student's progress via the Home Base Parent Portal powered by PowerSchool. This valuable tool also gives parents/guardians access to assignment information, grades and attendance.
All VCS schools can provide access code letters to parents/guardians which provide the instructions for parents/guardians to link their child(ren) to their accounts, so they only have one login to access students at multiple schools. If you have specific questions about the Home Base Parent Portal, please contact your child's school directly.
NC Standard Course of Study
The North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCoS) defines the appropriate content standards for each grade and each course to provide a uniform set of learning standards for every public school in North Carolina. These standards from the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) define what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of each school year or course.