Academics & Grade Reporting

O’Rourke Middle School Academics & Grade Reporting

Report Cards

At the end of each quarter, report cards are issued. Students are expected to take the report cards home. End of the year report cards are mailed directly to your home.

The O’Rourke Middle School uses a two-tiered grading system along with additional comments.

Tier One – Academic Performance Standard: A 0-100 grade will be determined based on content knowledge stemming from graded materials (i.e. quizzes, tests, projects, authentic assessments, portfolios, laboratory projects, student notebooks and journals, classroom performance, oral presentations, and grade homework.)

Tier Two – Personal Development Standard: A 1-5 grade (5-Exceptional, 4-Very Good, 3-Good, 2-Needs Improvement, and 1-Minimal) will be determined based on the following personal development criteria: engages in class activities, demonstrates good work habits and neatness, demonstrates best effort, attends class on time and is prepared, completes assignments / homework in a timely manner, exhibits positive class behavior and attitude, strives to continually improve, cooperates with peers and adults, and demonstrates motivation as a self-directed learner.

If an incomplete (INC) appears on a report card, it signifies that the student is missing either a major project, a number of homework assignments, quizzes or tests (due to absence or other circumstances). This missing work prevents the teachers from reporting a fair and accurate grade on the report card. To replace the INC with a numeric grade, the student needs to speak with his/her teacher about the missing work and make it up. The make-up work must be submitted within 10 school days from the day report cards are issued to the students. When all missing work is submitted, the INC will be replaced by a numerical grade on the next report card. If the work is not submitted within the allotted time, the student’s grade will be calculated with the missing work – the result being a lower grade. {Note – This provision is intended to provide a fair grade for students facing extenuating circumstances such as illness, death in the family, etc.}

If an “F” grade appears on a report card, it indicates that a student has earned a grade below a 65 for the quarter. The purpose of the “F” grade is to allow a student the opportunity to improve a failing grade by consistently demonstrating an improved attitude, effort and achievement in that course for the remaining quarters. The teacher, in reviewing the student’s progress, may replace the “F” with a numerical grade ranging from 0-64, with the grade replacement not being lower than the earned grade.

Honor Roll & GPA

Principal’s Honor Roll – 94.50 or higher
High Honor Roll – 89.50 to 94.99
Honor Roll – 84.50 to 89.49

In order to achieve Honor Roll status, no report card mark may be an “F” grade, “Unsatisfactory” or “Incomplete.” Honor Roll eligibility is determined by the GPA (grade point average) which is computed as follows:

Full year courses and half-year courses count as 1, every other day courses count as 0.5, and Band/Orchestra count as 0.6.

Example for Grade 8:

Math 80
Science 70
Social Studies 90
English 80
Spanish 70
Technology 90
Physical Education 40 (.5 of 80)
Art 80
Band 56.4 (.6 of 94)

Total Points 656.4
Total Courses 8.1 (6 full year, 2 half year plus 2 every other day courses)
Average 81.04

Promotion Policy

Children who satisfactorily meet the requirements for promotion will be moved on to the next level of instruction in the successive school year. The O’Rourke Middle School promotion requirements will have as its primary component the commitment to exhaust all avenues of intervention to insure student success in school. Should students still exhibit tendencies toward failure after interventions have been applied, through formulated instructional prescriptions, then the following determinations may be made:

  1. Students who pass all academic courses shall be promoted to the next level of instruction unless it is deemed otherwise beneficial to retain that student for developmental purposes. This designation will be determined only after a consultation is made with the staff, parent/guardian, student, and Pupil Assistance Team (PAT) members.
  2. Students who fail one course will be conditionally promoted to the next instructional level, with a strong recommendation that the student attend a summer intervention and/or bridge skills course. The student will be placed on academic watch to monitor their progress at the next level of instruction.
  3. Students who fail two or more academic courses will be mandated to attend summer intervention courses in the same disciplines they failed, up to four courses; and/or may be required to take an additional bridge skills course to support their development. Passing the summer intervention course may result in the promotion of the student to the next level of instruction. Any students attending a summer school intervention program and promoted to the next level of instruction will be placed on academic watch to monitor their progress and may receive alternative education through school based intervention programs in the successive school year. Students who fail to attend or refuse to attend summer school or fail summer school intervention courses, run the risk of being retained at the current grade level of instruction.
  4. Please note: Advancement is contingent on compliance with summer school attendance and behavioral requirements and is at the discretion of the building principal.
  5. Alternative educational options may be sought for students who exhibit chronic tendencies toward failure. Determination for these placements will come in consultation with the staff, parent/guardian, student, and Response to Intervention team (RtI) members.
  6. The building principal will determine, in joint consultation with members of each constituent group, placement and status based on district opportunities and finances.

Student Identification Process

The identification of student academic and developmental needs shall be comprehensive and exhaustive with the intent to provide each student with a successful educational program. This premise includes students at all levels of the learning spectrum. Every effort will be made to identify student needs at the grass roots level through individual teachers and teaching teams. Strategies will be applied at that level which differentiate instruction for each child and provide for their needs as best can be served within the structure of the greater population. When all classroom strategies and interventions have been exhausted through collaboration with parents/guardians and consultants, then the child’s case will be referred to the Response to Intervention (RtI) team for further determination. The RtI team will then review progress to date, consult with appropriate student managers, and evaluate personal student information to determine further intervention strategies and/or placements. At all times, the parents/guardians will be consulted on all matters.

The school will administer a variety of assessments, both local and standardized, to help determine student needs and placement. These measures will be used in conjunction with other researched and proven measures of evaluation. Each evaluation of a child should be comprehensive and consider all aspects of a child’s development. Evaluation should be ongoing and progressive. All intervention strategies should be documented and monitored.

Dropping Band/Orchestra

Students may not drop a course without the consent of the parent/guardian, Department Head, teacher, and the guidance counselor. Until the request has been approved, and the teacher has been notified by guidance, the student remains a member of the class and must attend classes. Students who drop prior to the end of a ten week marking period will receive a drop/pass or drop/fail on their report card based on their perform

Awards

Students are encouraged and rewarded for outstanding scholarship, citizenship, and personal growth. Various awards are given to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students throughout the year.

O’Rourke Rave Board

Students and staff are encouraged to nominate students that demonstrate traits of good character. The students’ names will be displayed on the O’Rourke Rave Board, which is located in the hallway across from the Main Office.

Scholastic Awards

In 8th grade, students are awarded bronze, silver, and gold medals for the average of the first three quarters.

Students having averages from 84.5 to 89.4 are eligible for the Bronze Medal.
Students having averages from 89.5 to 94.4 are eligible for the Silver Medal.
Students having averages from 94.5 or above are eligible for the Gold Medal.

Departmental Awards

The English, Science, Social Studies, Math, Health, World Language, Music, Art, Family and Consumer Science, Technology, Academic Intervention Services, Special Education, and Physical Education Departments will each recognize an outstanding eighth grade student.