Coronavirus Update: San Francisco Unified School District Opts For 'Credit/No Credit' Grading
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Officials with the San Francisco Unified School District late Wednesday announced the approach teachers will be taking as far as grading students for the remainder of the coronavirus-impacted school year.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The district made the announcement in an email sent to parents Wednesday evening. Like school districts across the state, San Francisco Unified has been coping with the challenges of distance learning and bridging the so-called "digital divide" with students since schools were officially closed to students in mid-March.
With the Wednesday announcement, the SFUSD outlined how teachers would approach grading for the remainder of the school year.
For elementary students in Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 5, teachers will provide feedback on progress in the "comments only" report form.
For students in Grades 6 through 12, teachers will assign "Credit/No Credit" for each course. Students in Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will be graded in accordance with already established plans.
"Our hope is that students continue to learn to the greatest extent possible during this time and we know that circumstances vary among educators and families" a statement issued by the district read. "Students will be given extra time even after this school year ends to earn credit for missed work."
Earlier this month, there was some discussion by SFUSD officials about the possibility of giving all middle and high school students "A" grades due to the hardship of the coronavirus closure of schools. While many district board members expressed support for the idea, the district opted for the "Credit/No Credit" option instead.
The district said additional information would be provided through counselors and on the district's distance learning "frequently asked questions" web page.
Earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed the possibility of opening schools in late July or early August to help make up for the loss of learning felt by many during the coronavirus quarantine.
The California Teacher's Association also released a statement Tuesday night in support of Newsom's plan but added -- "When students physically return to school campuses, it needs to be planned and deliberate with public health at the forefront of all decision making."
The return to school would be contingent on the safety of educators and students. Class times maybe staggered as educators try to encourage social distancing.
