Sandbox Course Documentation
6. Chapter 6 - Grading
Grading
Six (6) assignment categories are used to calculate a student’s weekly grade:
TestOut (16.66%) + Literacy (16.66%) + CompTia (16.66%) + Programming & Web Design (16.66%) + Participation (16.66%) + Weekly Score (16.66%) = Weekly Grade
There are forty (40) weeks in a school year.
The cumulative average of all six (6) categories over ten (10) consecutive weeks equals a student’s quarterly grade:
There are four (4) quarters in the school year (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4).
A final grade is calculated by adding all four quarters, a midterm test and final exam:
Q1(20%) + Q2(20%) + Midterm(10%) + Q3(20%) + Q4(20%) + Final Exam (10%) = Final Average
TestOut: TestOut is an online system of instructional lectures, lessons, videos, quizzes and computer hardware/software simulations. TestOut modules are regularly assigned to students throughout the school week. Students must complete TestOut activities to receive a grade.
The weekly TestOut score is a cumulative average of all the completed (and not completed) assignments. Incomplete TestOut assignments will receive a grade of zero (0). A grade of zero (0) can significantly affect a student’s weekly grade in this category.
Literacy:
The literacy category is used to evaluate a student’s ability to understand
and apply information technology and vocational concepts/vocabulary introduced
during instruction time. Class lectures,
notes, glossary entries, posters, multiple choice quizzes and crossword puzzles
are used to reinforce what they have learned.
Literacy activities are assigned throughout the week. Completed assignments are graded and a weekly score is calculated using the cumulative average of all work completed (and not completed) by a student. Incomplete literacy assignments will receive a grade of zero (0). A grade of zero (0) can significantly affect a student’s weekly grade in this category.
CompTia: The CompTia category is used to prepare and evaluate a student’s readiness for the A+ Certification Test and two (2) other exams.
A+ Certification is an industry recognized credential; for information technology professionals. The A+ Certification Exam is optional for both first (1st) and second (2nd) year Computer Careers students.
Along with the optional A+ Certification Exam two (2) other information technology (IT) certification exams are offered to Computer Careers students. First (1st) year students take the CompTia Certification exam for Managing and Troubleshooting PCs. Second (2nd) year students take the CompTia Certification exam for Managing and Troubleshooting Networks.
CompTia activities such as daily warm-up exercises, short answer quizzes, blog responses and written notes are assigned throughout the week.
Completed assignments are graded and a weekly score is calculated using the cumulative average of all work completed (and not completed) by a student. Incomplete literacy assignments will receive a grade of zero (0). A grade of zero (0) can significantly affect a student’s weekly grade in this category.
Programming & Web Design: The Programming & Web Design category is project based. Students are introduced to escalating degrees of HTML and computer programming commands/concepts throughput the school year then given corresponding assignments associated with those lessons.
Grading rubrics are usually provided with each assignment and used to assess a student’s work.
Programming & Web Design tasks are assigned regularly to students. Examples of these kinds of assignments are creating HTML web pages, designing a simple video game and editing photos/graphics files.
Participation: Students will be assessed everyday based on the “Ten Steps To Success” shared with them at the beginning of each school year..
The “Ten Steps to Success” is a recommended strategy for students that can help them successfully complete the course..
Each day students earn points towards their weekly grade based on their performance in class. Some examples of participation category conduct that students are evaluated on how much assigned work is completed during the week, how respectful a student is towards their classroom peers and adherence to classroom policies/procedures.
Participation points can also be earned (or taken away) throughout a school week depending on circumstances and a student’s behavior. Volunteer opportunities to help fellow students and manage the classroom computer lab can lead to additional participation points. Inappropriate behavior such as swearing and using a smart phone during class lectures can lead to the loss of participation points.
Weekly Score: The Weekly Score is the average of a student’s results in five graded categories: TestOut, Literacy, CompTia, Programming & Web Design and Participation.