Homewood High now grades several courses on skills, not points: four proficiency levels, no traditional retakes, and a chart that turns skills into an A to F grade.
Homewood High School has switched several courses this year to evidence-based grading, a system that grades students on specific skills instead of averaging points. The school says it plans to expand the approach to every course.
Here is how the system works, taken from the school’s own grading page and its explainer videos.
Skills, not percentages
Under the old system, an 82% on a test fed into an average. Under evidence-based grading, the school said, a test is evidence of how well a student has mastered each skill in the course.
Each course names its skills. In math, for example, one skill is creating and connecting mathematical representations. In English, one is composing clear, well-supported arguments.
Teachers rate each skill at one of four levels, according to the school:
- Exceeding: above the standard
- Meeting: at the standard
- Approaching: emerging, not yet at the standard
- Developing: still building foundational knowledge
Teachers on the same course agree in advance what work counts as “meeting.” The school calls this calibration and says it keeps grading consistent across sections.
How skills become an A to F grade
Report cards and transcripts still carry a letter grade. A “Skills to Grade Conversion Chart” on each student’s dashboard sets it. The school showed the chart in its student dashboard video:
| Letter grade | Overall skill levels needed |
|---|---|
| A | Meeting or exceeding in all skills |
| B | Approaching in one skill, meeting or exceeding in the rest |
| C | Approaching in two or more skills, with none at developing |
| D | Developing in one skill |
| F | Developing in two or more skills |
The sample course in that video has three skills. The school’s page describes the final grade as the combined proficiency level for skills 1, 2 and 3.
Mode and recency, and no traditional retakes
A skill’s final level is the level a student shows most consistently, weighted toward the most recent evidence. The school gave an example: a student who starts at “developing” and later reaches “meeting” several times is judged on the later work.
The grading page says plainly that evidence-based grading “does not include a traditional retake policy.” Instead, skills are assessed again later in the semester. A student may be asked to do extra practice before trying again, or to show a skill during end-of-semester learning opportunities.
What does not count
Homework and practice go in a Preparation Log. The school said that log is “not calculated into the final course grade.” Practice is marked “prepared,” “somewhat prepared” or “not prepared.”
A separate Academic Progress report goes out twice a month. It rates a student “not concerned,” “somewhat concerned” or “concerned.” The school said “concerned” means the student is not progressing and is at risk of failing the course.
Why the school made the change
The school said point-based grades lead students to ask “How many points do I need?” It wants them to ask what they understand and what to do next. It says those habits matter in college and work.
The district’s older assessment and grading page still says Homewood City Schools uses standards-based grading in elementary school and traditional A to F grading in grades 6 to 12. It explains that GPAs, athletic eligibility and college applications drive the secondary approach. That page does not mention the high school’s new system.
What it means for you
- Check the dashboard. Each student’s evidence-based grading dashboard shows the projected grade, the level for each skill and the conversion chart.
- Watch the twice-monthly progress report. “Somewhat concerned” means support is encouraged. “Concerned” means the school wants the student to meet the teacher right away and make a recovery plan.
- Go to a coffee talk. School leaders are holding parent coffee talks on evidence-based grading through the year. Sign-up links are on the grading page.
- Watch the videos. The school posted three: its grading beliefs, a talk on evidence-based grading and college from the college counselor, and the dashboard walk-through.
- Ask the teacher first. The district says grade questions go to the teacher. Homewood High is at 1901 S. Lakeshore Drive. Our Homewood High page has contacts and the school’s state report card results.
For the rest of the district, see our guide to Homewood public schools.
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