Pleasanton Unified proposes new temporary grading policy

The Pleasanton school board is set to consider another proposed temporary grading policy for middle and high school students during this semester at its regular online meeting on Thursday, starting 7 p.m.

Under the new proposal, the grading scale range would be expanded for a D grade from 60 – 69% to 50 – 69%, and decreased from 0 – 59% to 0- 49% for an F grade. The policy would double the point spread for D grades from 10 to 20 points, while the F grade scale would decrease from 60 to 50 points.

“This allows students who receive an F grade on the traditional grading scale to potentially pass a class with a D and thus qualify for graduation credit,” said officials with Pleasanton Unified School District.

“Additionally, this grading scale change would help to mitigate the negative emotional impact of failing grades on the mental health of students during the global COVID-19 pandemic, they added.

Grading scales for a grade C or above would remain the same. The temporary grading policy would apply only to students in 6th to 12th grade, including those in special education or with an IEP or 504 plan.

Officials added that “students who have earned passing grades or A, B, C, or D, and those who have earned an extra grade weighting in Advanced Placement and Honors-level courses with A, B, and C grades, will experience no change with this policy.”

Citing an uptick of D and F grades this school year, and “that not all students have had the same access and opportunity to excel during remote learning,” the Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a different grading policy in early January, allowing secondary students to receive “Credit” or “No Credit” marks instead of low letter grades on their first-semester report card.

A comparison of high school progress reports for D and F grades during quarter 3 shows a 5.2% decrease of D grades. However, F grades jumped 59.4% from the same time last year.

Among demographic groups, 71% of Black / African-American students received at least one D or F grade in quarter 3 for the 2020-21 school year, followed by 61.5% American Indian/ Alaska Natives, 60% of students identifying as “other”, 42.9% Hispanic or Latino, 26.3% white, and 25.4% Asian students.

District documents also show Hispanic students comprise the largest demographic that received five or more D or F grades (22.4%), followed by 18.8% American Indian / Alaska Natives, 17.9% of students identifying as “other”, then finally 14.8% Black, 10.1% white, and 9% of Asian students.

The decision was meant “to allow students time to remediate D/F grades and mitigate the negative pandemic-related emotional impact on the mental health of students,” officials said.

Since then, a committee of “instructional leaders representing all 6-12 grade levels, departments, and school sites, met weekly to discuss grading practices for Semester 2,” according to a staff report.

“After many weeks of analysis and discussion, the committee came to consensus on a proposed temporary policy recommendation for the secondary grading scale for semester two,” staff said.

After reviewing PUSD data trends and discussing “various grading policy options based on the literature and suggestions received from the group” — including “equitable grading practices and the impact of zero on the grade book” and the impact of changing the grading scale for C, D, and F grades — the proposed policy was then fully developed.

A spring credit recovery program also started on Feb. 16, allowing students to remediate their semester one “Credit” or “No Credit” marks by the end of the school year.

In other business

* On Tuesday, the board will consider infusing an additional $1.1 million of funds into the district’s independent study program, which has been in limited operation for years.

Students are set to eventually return to school but the Pleasanton Virtual Academy is targeted towards those either “thriving in the remote/distance learning environment” or that may not desire in-person attendance “due to unique medical circumstances related to COVID.” However, any student is welcome to attend.

The academy “provides students with consistent and excellent education without the daily, in-person attendance requirement,” and “an opportunity to partner more deliberately with community organizations and higher education institutions to benefit student learning,” staff said.

Home teaching requests for anxiety or depression have “reduced dramatically” by approximately 50% as of Feb. 1, according to staff, while student feedback “has long indicated that a differentiated model is needed for a variety of reasons,” prompting the academy’s recent development.

The Virtual Academy has comparable “educational rigor and learning outcomes” as other PUSD schools, but students access and interact with the curriculum “in a slightly different way than they would in a traditional school setting, staff said, adding that “inherent in the program is flexibility, and choice.”

Students enrolled in the virtual academy can personalize their learning experience, and are offered in-person opportunities to enhance their learning throughout the school year. For the 2021-22 school year, the academy will operate as an independent K-8 school and as a program for all three high schools.

Depending on the grade level, students will meet with their instructor for one hour a week and complete anywhere from 180 to more than 240 minutes of learning activities per school day. Elementary students will have enrichment opportunities like coding and art classes, and middle and high school students can still participate in sports at their school of residence and opt for “unique electives.”

Grades 6 – 12 accepted into the academy will create an Individual Learning Plan, which will be revisited each semester and updated as needed. Secondary students enrolled full time in Virtual Academy may also enroll in courses not offered through the program at the comprehensive sites. Students enrolled full-time in the comprehensive sites may also enroll in Virtual Academy courses not offered at their regular school.

Virtual Academy students will also be encouraged to enroll in Tri-Valley ROP courses and may concurrently enroll at Las Positas College.

The majority of staffing costs for the academy will come from “shifting” enrollment, which PUSD said is “difficult to accurately project without yet knowing enrollment and in high school course requests.” However, based on an enrollment of 250 students evenly distributed in K-12, the approximate annual expense will be $1,111,000 — $1 million for teaching staff and another $111,000 for support staff plus supplies, materials and WASC fees.

To request enrollment in the fall cohort, be sure to complete the application by March 15. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and students will be admitted as space is available. For more information, email virtualacademy@pleasantonusd.net.