Our DPS Weekly
April 16, 2020
Updated Guidance on Remote Learning Grading Policy 
Dear Team DPS:

Based on feedback we’ve received, we’ve made some adjustments to our grading policy for remote learning. Those details are shared below in a message from DPS Deputy Superintendent of Academics Tamara Acevedo.

Warm Regards,
Susana

Updated Guidance on Remote Learning Grading Policy  
 
Over the last week, we received feedback from many high school students, families, educators, and leaders about our initial decision to move to a credit/no credit model for spring semester course grades. We have worked to ensure that Equity remains at the heart of our decision-making through these difficult and rapidly-changing times, and we want to be as responsive to student and family needs as possible. We know that our students and families are experiencing this crisis in vastly different ways, so we want to ensure that students who are not able to engage in remote learning to the same degree as others will not be disadvantaged by those challenges during this time.

In response to your feedback, we are adjusting our grading policies for the spring 2020 semester, in order to provide more flexibility -- while continuing to have high expectations for all of our students. This decision aligns with that of other metro Denver school districts and considers feedback from national assessment experts. 

What is the grading policy for students in grades 9-12?
The grades high school students earned in each course as of April 6 (the day before our first week of remote learning), will be the lowest possible grades they can receive for this semester -- as long as students continue to engage in learning in accordance with their school’s remote learning plan. 

  • Students will be able to improve upon their grade for the rest of this semester.

  • Students will be able to decide on a class-by-class basis which grading option they prefer -- a letter grade or credit/no credit. 

  • Additionally, it will be possible for students to make the choice to receive credit for a course instead of a letter grade until the end of the school year. Students should work with their school staff to make that change to their transcript.

  • For this semester, any F grades will be transcribed as “no credit”. Students will have the opportunity to improve a “no credit” at a later time.

What is the grading policy for students in ECE-8th grades?
Instead of numerical or letter grades, all ECE-5th grade students’ report cards will have qualitative feedback about how a student has or has not demonstrated understanding of the critical learning for the grading period. Schools will also provide feedback throughout the grading period if a student has not initially demonstrated understanding, and share opportunities to do so later in the summer or beyond.

Schools with students in grades 6-8 will make the determination of how to approach grading based on their school context and in partnership with their communities -- adopting either a modified 9-12 model or following the ECE-5 model that best fits their context. 

Does this grading policy apply to DPS charter schools?
Under state law, charter schools have the ability to attain a waiver to the DPS grading policy. The District-Charter Collaborative Council has established a framework to guide charter school grading policies that may differ from district guidance, rooted in our shared commitment to Equity in remote learning. 

How will this grading policy work at my student’s school?
You will receive follow-up communication from your school with school-specific information related to the rollout of the grading policy by the middle of next week. If you have additional questions after that communication about how this policy will be implemented at your school, please reach out to the identified school contact. 

We appreciate all that our community members are doing to put Students First to help our families make it through this unprecedented situation without losing ground on their students’ education. Thank you for your understanding and your feedback. Please take good care of yourselves and your families.

Sincerely,
Tamara Acevedo
Deputy Superintendent of Academics
Census 2020: Help DPS Secure Equitable Funding for Schools  
If you haven’t filled out your Census 2020 survey online yet, now is the time! The census ensures a more equitable distribution of billions of dollars, impacting key programs that benefit schools and students. Since the census only happens once every 10 years, missing even just one individual can have a lasting financial impact. Everyone in your household should be counted -- even babies! It’ll take you around 10 minutes to complete simple questions around the number of people in your household, their ages, gender and more. 

Funding from the census is used for programs that have shown lasting, positive effects on children, including preschool for low-income Denver families, free and reduced-priced lunch, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; formerly known as food stamps). An accurate count helps reduce class size and provide programs for students with special needs, and also impacts Title I funding, which is used to improve curriculum, programs and counseling services in schools, and serves students who are migrant, homeless, at-risk or with limited English proficiency. 

Learn more about how the census impacts our schools on the DPS website , and visit 2020Census.gov to make sure you and every member of your household are counted!

You can answer the census questions online or by phone in English and in 12 other languages. Additionally, there will be language assistance guides and videos available in 59 more languages, including Braille and American Sign Language. For directions in Spanish please check here . 
50 th Anniversary of Earth Day: Ways to Take Action While Social Distancing
This April 22 , during the 50 th anniversary of Earth Day, there are many ways to make a difference and celebrate our beautiful planet -- all while staying at home.
 
Please join the DPS Youth Sustainability Board for a Virtual Earth Day Zoom call on Sunday, April 19 , organized by DPS’ own Harper Young, a seventh-grader at Denver School of the Arts. Students, experts and other community members will share what they are doing from their homes to celebrate Earth Day, with topics including crafts, sustainable nutrition gardening and self-reliance. If you can't make the live call, it will be recorded and shared for future viewing.
 
The Youth Sustainability Board is a student-focused, student-led nonprofit made up primarily of DPS students who work to educate and empower youth to help the planet. Mentors also engage with students and help support both personal and professional pathways. If you have questions, please contact maddy@youthsustainabilityboard.org .
 
Check out the DPS Department of Sustainability Resource page for ideas on positively impacting our environment, practicing wellness and celebrating nature -- and if you have questions, please contact the Sustainability Department .
Why Do You Love Your Teacher?
During national Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-7 , DPS is celebrating our amazing educators -- and we want to hear from our students themselves about what makes their teachers so great!

As our teachers continue to go above and beyond for our kids, we want to take this time to show them how much they are valued. Work with your students to tell us why they love their teachers using this short form and they may be featured on the DPS website and the DPS Facebook page.
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