Should a request be made to change a letter grade on final exams or grades at the end of a marking period, term, trimester or semester, the following procedures are to be followed:
Step 1 - Informing the Teacher
If a student/parent(s)/guardian(s) is/are dissatisfied with the letter grade received, the teacher is informed by the student/parent(s)/guardian(s), within 10 calendar days, the reason(s) for wanting the grade changed.
Step 2
a. The teacher who gave the original grade agrees with the student’s request, within 10 calendar days, to the change and the procedure ends, or
b. The teacher who gave the grade does not agree, or does not respond to the student’s request within 10 calendar days, the student proceeds to the next step.
Step 3
Principal Receives Request
Within 30 calendar days after the student receives the grade and the teacher does not agree to change the grade, the Principal, or person designated by the Principal, must receive a written request from the student stating the reasons for wanting the grade change.
Meeting with Principal
The Principal shall consult with the teacher who assigned the grade and the student within 20 calendar days after receiving the written request from the student. The student, parent(s)/guardian(s) may attend this meeting or may make a presentation, orally or in writing, to the Principal.
Rational Basis Guideline
The Principal cannot change the grade unless he/she finds that the student requesting the change has established there was not a “rational basis” for the challenged grade under the teacher’s established grading procedures. If the student has established a “rational basis,” the Principal may recommend changing the grade.
Principal’s Decision
The Principal shall make his/her decision within 10 calendar days after the meeting with the teacher and student/parent(s)/guardian(s).
Step 4 - Timely Appeals
The teacher or the student/parent(s)/guardian(s) may appeal the Principal’s decision to the Superintendent’s Office within 20 calendar days after receiving the Principal’s decision. Failure to make a timely appeal means the Principal’s decision is final.
The Superintendent’s Office shall render a decision within 30 calendar days.
Step 5 - The Student’s Record
If the Principal or Superintendent’s Office acts to change a grade under this policy, a notation shall be made in the student’s record that the Principal or Superintendent’s Office changed the grade.
