Effective Jan. 30, MCPS has instituted a new grading policy. The policy has removed the two-way communication requirement between teachers and parents or guardians, before assigning a zero. Teachers may now score student assignments with a zero, after they have offered “support and intervention” and documented communication with a student’s parents or guardians to inform them of the missing all-task assignment. The change shortens the steps between a student missing an assignment and their receiving a zero. The policy potentially could impact second semester grades for students who have thus far benefited from the 50% rule, which required teachers to give students scores no lower than half credit for missing assignments, except in rare circumstances.

Additionally, this new policy takes away the upper limit for the number of assignments necessary for each grading category and replaces it with a minimum number of assignments: nine All-Task assignments and five Practice/Prep assignments per marking period. Another new requirement states that teachers must indicate assignments that can be retaken by designating them with “R” within their grade book.