SEATTLE — High schoolers in Seattle Public Schools will get an "A" or an "Incomplete" on their report cards, as students continue to learn remotely through the end of the school year.
The school board on Monday approved the temporary grading policy referred to as “A or Incomplete.” This temporary policy will be used by high schools as students’ final grades are determined for the Spring 2020 semester.
Seattle Superintendent Denise Juneau said the change was necessary because of the "unique challenges" presented by the mid-March closure of school buildings for the remainder of the school year to slow the area spread of the novel coronavirus.
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Juneau said the policy was created to take into account the inequities, such as lack of access to the internet, that many students face at home.
“After looking at several options, we determined the 'A or Incomplete' policy is the best option to make sure the extended school building closure doesn’t harm any of our students, particularly those furthest from educational justice,” Juneau said in a prepared statement.
According to the district, the school board also considered “credit” or “no credit;” using regular letter grades; allowing the students to work to improve their current grade; or leaving the grading up to schools and teachers.
Though classrooms are closed, districts statewide were mandated to establish remote learning opportunities for students of all grades. These have varied from paper packets sent home each week to online classes.