LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – The Lafayette Parish School Board has just adjusted gradin practices for 6th through 12th grade students at their School Board meeting Wednesday, as part of their Pupil Progression Plan.

 

After the change, some student’s grades increased, and in other cases the grades dropped.
LPSS officials say they are giving students the benefit of the doubt in all cases.

 

“The District staff and the Board, we don’t want to hurt anyone’s grades as a policy shift,” said Joe Craig with the Lafayette Parish School System.

 

The weight of summative grades is now 60%, while the weight of formative grades was increased to 40%.
Grades suddenly began to change for some students after the new system was announced.

 

“We’ll run the classes for the kids with a 90% / 10% ratio, we’ll run them with a 60% / 40% ratio, and whichever grade benefits the student the most, that’s the grade that will be reported on their 9 weeks 1 report card,” said Craig.

 

For example, the summative assessments are the major tests at the conclusion of a unit, chapter, or a topic.

 

“The formative assessments are those smaller checks, tests and quizzes if you will, that take place along the way,” said Craig.

 

Teachers are also not required to re-test for every summative assessment as of Wednesday’s board meeting.

 

“But at the mid-point of the grading period and at the end of the grading period, if a student’s failing a class, there has to be some evidence that the teacher has done some re-teaching, to make sure that student is successful in the class,” Craig stated.

 

Over the weekend, the program will run and the higher grade for each of the students’ classes, will be recorded as the students’ final grade for the first nine weeks.

 

The grades should be available for teachers, parents and students to review by Monday, October 15.

 

The full memo from the Lafayette Parish School System is below: